


In These Tangled Webs

by NikaylaSarae



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Arachnophobia, Biting, Blood, Extra Body Parts, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Manipulation, Minor Character Deaths, Negative Self Talk, Slightly detailed descriptions of minor character deaths, Spiders, Swords, Toxic Parent, death talk, fangs, injuries, murder mentions, venom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:54:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25244968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikaylaSarae/pseuds/NikaylaSarae
Summary: It should be easy admitting to your roommates that you’re not entirely human. Only in Logan’s case it’s not. Not when he discovers that Patton is afraid of Spiders.
Comments: 82
Kudos: 196





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted with minor edits from my Tumblr account @stillebesat.

It shouldn’t matter any more. 

Logan frowned down at the silk threads strung between his fingers. 

The hoopla over splicing other creatures’ DNA into the human genome had been a much bigger deal in his great-great-grandparents’ time. So it should be fine...fine to admit to his roommates that he wasn’t…wasn’t totally human. 

**_No one ever understands._ **

He exhaled, weaving the silk back and forth, creating a pattern of triangles and hexagons between his hands. 

Nearly a fourth of the American population could name an ancestor who had participated in the fad before it was banned. Some...with better results than others. 

Some with less...horrific pasts than his. 

**_I do this to protect me, sweetheart._ **

Logan closed his eyes, clenching his fists, destroying the web in the process. “Who am I kidding?” He whispered. Just because the recent passing of new laws allowed  _ most  _ of the Spliced’s descendants to come out into the open didn’t mean that he would be able to. 

It wasn’t like anyone else had their mother currently listed on America’s Most Wanted as the country’s number one threat. 

**_Strike. Hold the neck. It snaps so easily. See, darlin? So easy. Don’t cry baby, I’ll get you another new daddy soon._ **

Logan grimaced, rubbing the raised bumps on his wrists, pulling more silk out to begin another web, running his tongue over his fangs as he tried to lose himself in creating a more intricate design. 

Why did his great-great-grandmother have to be one of those fifteen thousand Americans who chose to Splice? Why did she have to pick the Black Widow of all creatures? Surely a Bear, Wolf, Eagle, or even a Snake could have given her her desired result -the death of her husband- without affecting her entire family line. 

But no. She’d chosen the Black Widow. 

Logan tsked, weaving the silk threads effortlessly between his fingers.

History claimed that she’d done it in self-defense. To protect herself and her unborn child from her so-called ‘violent’ husband.

History was wrong. 

**_Power. Riches. Fame. I have it all, my little spiderling. All because I’ve picked the right stupid men to lure into my web._ **

Logan gritted his teeth, balling up the web as he glanced to his bedroom door, listening to the faint, carefree laughter of his roommates coming from below. 

_ Patton…and Roman and Virgil.  _

The first three humans he’d actually grown to...care for in who knew how long. Not since his mother--Logan shook his head. He should have stayed aloof. Should have refused to socialize when he moved in just like he’d done the past dozen times he’d found himself with new roommates. 

It was safer that way. People couldn’t find you if they didn’t know you. Couldn’t hurt you if they didn’t know your weaknesses. 

His mouth twitched upwards, eyes softening as he gazed at the door. 

He hadn’t accounted for having a roommate like Patton though. Patton, who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Patton who always greeted him with a smile...and sometimes...sometimes a hug. Patton who would always invite Logan to join them, no matter how many times he’d said no. Patton was a whirlwind of friendliness that refused to leave him alone. 

And because of that…because of the friendships Logan had found himself having with all three roommates, he was seriously considering telling them. All of them. What he was. Today. 

He threw himself backwards on his bed, staring up at the starry ceiling as he rested his hand on his chest, tracing the red and black hourglass shape hidden under his shirt that marked all Human Widows.

**_Just like me. Oh sweetheart. You shouldn’t have shown me._ **

“It will be fine.” He whispered, swallowing as he heard the uncertainty in his voice. Just because...others hadn’t reacted well to the mark didn’t mean they would--

**_It’s kill or be killed and you just died, my spiderling._ **

He groaned, pushing his glasses up so he could press his palms to his eyes. Oh yes, this was a great way to convince himself that he could tell his roommates he was part spider. 

**_I promise. Death will be quick. Just come give your momma a hug._ **

He sat up, shaking his head in a futile effort to silence his mother’s voice. He hadn’t seen her in years. Her words shouldn’t hold this much sway over him still. He shouldn’t fear...because she told him to. He should be able to convince himself that he could tell his roommates now, after living with them for the past six months, what he really was. 

“They...won’t mind.” He whispered, pressing a hand to the mark on his chest. “Patton will think it’s cute. Roman will be jealous. Virgil…” The corner of his mouth quirked. “He’ll be ecstatic to meet an actual modern day cryptid and will ask me a hundred questions. It...it will work out.”

**_NO ONE LIVES ONCE I DECIDE THEY DIE!_ **

His mother was wrong. Logan took a breath, rolling off his bed. He’d only been two or three, but he was positive one step-dad of the dozen he’d known had escaped. 

Logan himself had escaped. Freed himself from her control.

Times were changing. Attitudes were changing. He was safe here. 

**_You’ll be feared. You’ll have them begging you for mercy. But you’ll learn to love it._ **

Logan glanced in the mirror, smoothing the wrinkles in his shirt. “It will work out.” He whispered. It had to work out. Patton…and Roman and Virgil were the first people he could...well people he actually trusted...felt…close to. He wanted them to know. Wanted them to see his true self. He just had to go down there and get the words ou--

Logan jumped as a scream echoed through the apartment. High pitched. Full of fear. Just like-- A chill ran through him. 

**_Oh, how I love to hear them scream._ **

_ Patton. _

Logan darted from his bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time to reach the living room. Patton. He was in danger his mother had found them--No. NO. She couldn’t find them. But that scream. Patton was in trouble!

“Patton!” Logan called as he reached the landing. “Are you--” The words died in his throat as he froze on the landing.

“KILL IT! KILL IT!” Patton yelled, cowering on top of the counter pointing at a dark spot on the wall above the bookcase.

_ A spider.  _

“I got it, padre!” Roman said, advancing with one shoe in hand. “No fear! I will slay this foul demon!” 

His mouth went dry.  _ Foul….demon?  _   


“No! Roman!” Patton tugged at the necklace around his neck, the mysterious pendant he usually kept hidden under his shirt held tightly in his fist. “It could jump and bite and kill you!” 

“I...I don’t think that’s possible, Pat.” Virgil said, flyswatter in hand as he stood protectively in front of their cowering roommate, eyes laser focused on the now moving spot.

**_It’s kill or be killed. Running only works once your prey is dead._ **

“I’ll be safe. The demon won’t sink its fangs in me.” Roman reassured him as he lifted his shoe. 

**_Death. The only option. One winner._ **

Logan opened his mouth, fingers white on the railing, but the words wouldn’t come as he watched the others. Even from here he could see it was just a common house spider. _Harmless._ Surely- _\--_

Patton whimpered in response, hunching his shoulders as he pulled the hood of the cat-sweater Logan had given him over his head, holding the necklace close to him as he peeked back out to the scene. “Get it, Ro! Please. KILL IT!” 

**_DEATH._ **

“Almost...almost.” Roman angled the shoe. “THERE!” 

Thud. __

Logan flinched as the shoe landed squarely on top of the arachnid, leaving a dark stain on the wall when Roman pulled away. 

_ It was harmless. _

“VANQUISHED! HA!” Roman called out triumphantly, moving to scrape the bottom of his shoe against the garbage can, careful to keep his distance from Patton. “No foul, creepy spider shall hurt you, my dear Patton, while I am here to protect you.” 

**_It’s killed or be killed, my spiderling._ **

Patton let out a sob, slipping off the counter and into Virgil’s waiting arms. “I hate spiders.” He whispered, visibly trembling as he tucked the necklace back under his shirt. “I hate. Hate. HATE Spiders.” 

_ I HATE SPIDERS.  _

It felt like a bullet pierced Logan’s heart, shattering it, leaving nothing but a hollow pit as his eyes darted between Patton and the smudge on the wall. 

**_They don’t understand. They never will._ **

_ I’ll vanquish the foul beast. _

_ I hate spiders. _

**_Kill or be killed._ **

_ I’ll protect you from them.  _

_ I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate spiders. _

Roman looked up then, catching sight of him. He grinned, slipping his shoe back onto his foot. “Hey, Specs! Didn’t see you--” He blinked, frowning as he straightened. “You okay, dude?” He gestured to the wall. “Don’t worry. I got the spider. We’re safe.” 

_ No they weren’t.  _

_ Patton hated spiders. Roman would kill him. He was a spider. They were--- _

Logan stumbled back a step. “F-Fine.” he said, his voice cracking as Patton pushed back the hood, still pale and wide eyed as he looked to Logan.    


“Lo?” He asked, confusion flickering in his eyes. 

_ KILL IT! KILL IT ROMAN! _

Patton had never been so violent. Had never--his breath hitched.  _ I thought I knew you.  _

**_You’re never safe. Don’t grow close to anyone, my darling. They’ll only stab you in the back._ **

“It’s...I’m fi--I’ll I got---upstair--yah.” Logan whirled, the mark on the wall burned into his vision. Squashed. _ Murdered b _ y Patton’s command.

Logan ran back up the stairs, ignoring the others’ voices as he retreated to his room. He slammed the door shut and locked it, heart racing in his chest as he turned, his vision blurring as he sunk down to the floor, curling up in a ball. 

_ I hate spiders.  _

His breath hitched as tears burned down his cheeks. It had been too close. He’d been two minutes away from revealing the truth. From being killed on the spot. Murdered. 

Logan clenched his hands, shivering as he ignored the questioning knock on the other side of the door. 

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

_ KILL IT! _

“Well, that solves that question.” He mumbled, cursing his luck. Cursing the fact that he...he’d actually grown to like these people, that he’d almost let his walls down for them. 

_ Mother was right.  _

He’d been about to tell them what he really was--- And now? He couldn’t. Ever. Not if he wanted to live. All because--

_ Patton hates spiders.  _


	2. Chapter 2

_Logan’s scared of spiders._

Patton drew in a steadying breath as he moved cautiously into the kitchen, bucket of spider-repellent cleaning supplies in his arms. 

_Logan’s scared of spiders._

It was a comfort to know that he wasn’t alone in his fear. 

Logan. Calm and rational Logan had gone so pale and been barely able to speak three nights ago when that creature had come crawling out of the bananas Roman had bought earlier that day. 

Patton pursed his lips, setting down the bucket with a thud on the counter, one hand raising to grip the pendant around his neck that he never took off. It was a simple thing, an old nail that had been bent into a circle, wrapped in a crisscross pattern of white thread.

**_“Wear this. Spihers hate it. Pwomise.”_ **

**_“...How...how will they hate it?”_ **

**_“It glows. Tells all spihers. Go way!”_ **

Patton exhaled, wishing he remembered who’d given him the necklace. For the longest time he’d thought a friend from first grade had given it to him before he moved away. But Virgil hadn’t recognized it when Patton had excitedly shown him he still had it when they reconnected last year in Hereditary Genetics. 

Patton slipped the necklace off and held it by the chain, watching it as the pendant slowly swung back and forth. 

**_“No huwt you. Pwomise. She lies.”_ **

Patton frowned, straining to connect a face with the faded voice. A teacher? No. He’d been homeschooled for most of second and third grade by his grandma before she’d had the stroke. Could she have given him it? No, the voice he remembered was too young for an adult. Besides, neither she nor his grandpa had ever believed him when he said it would glow. They’d dismissed it as a childhood fancy. A coping mechanism. To them, it always had a blue shimmer.

Always because his grandparent’s home had been riddled with the tiny creepy crawly death dealers. 

But Patton hadn’t been attacked...attacked by them since…

_Pitch black eyes. Gleaming fangs. An Hourglass. Red. RED. BLOOD._

He shivered, focusing on the ring. 

**_“---Won’t huwt you. I Pwomise. You safe. Pwo--pwo--pwotected.”_ **

There was no glow now.

Patton slipped the necklace back over his head, tucking it into his shirt to rest against his pounding heart.

It was part of the reason why he’d said yes to this particular apartment after weeks of searching with Virgil. His necklace had indicated it was safe.

_Is it still safe though?_

It had been for the past six months. One spider in six months. That was...that was still good. 

_But the last place had been ‘good’ too._

He swallowed hard, picking up a can of peppermint spray. “You won’t chase me out this time.” He croaked out. He wasn’t taking any chances. Not when--

_Logan’s afraid of spiders._

Patton gripped the can tighter. He didn’t want Lo to be afraid here. He would protect the two of them. Patton wouldn’t let an infestation happen again. Not when their poor nerd refused to come out of his bedroom when he was home. Not when Logan could barely keep a conversation going whenever Patton tried to talk to him, fleeing upstairs with barely a hello. 

Patton exhaled, shoulders slumping as he picked up a rag. He’d worked so hard to get Lo out of his shell these past six months and now...it felt like they were back at square one. 

_Stupid spiders. They ruin everything._

His roommate was probably embarrassed that he had an...what was the term their nerd liked to use? Patton clicked his tongue before he grinned. Oh yah! An irrational fear. 

He shook his head. It was hardly irrational when the creepy crawly death dealers moved their eight legs in such a spine-tingling fashion. How they could be moving so slowly and then suddenly ATTACK! 

_Dropping from their webs. Waiting in the shadows. Luring you to your doom with sweet empty promises._

**“** **_Safe.”_ **

Patton eyed the spot on the wall he’d already bleached four times as he moved warily about the kitchen with peppermint spray in one hand, cleaning rag in the other, squirting the scent into every nook and cranny that he could reach. 

The things could appear out of nowhere. Suddenly there. Waiting. With their beady little eyes and tiny little fangs. Ready to latch on and suck him dry and trap him in their little sticky webs and--

Patton shuddered. It didn't matter that they were tiny. It didn’t matter that Virgil said the creatures were probably more scared of him than he was of them. Those things had FANGS. Those things could BITE! They could be ANYWHERE. 

“Happy thoughts.” He whispered, pulling the toaster out of its nook. Puppy dogs. Rainbows. Cookies. Oh yes, Patton would be baking himself a large batch of peppermint chocolate chip cookies to go with dinner after this cleaning spree.

And once he was done. He could show Logan how safe they were now and how no spider would come harm--the rag sent something dark and brown tumbling onto the counter. 

Patton recoiled with a shriek, wielding the peppermint spray like a flamethrower as he sprayed the brown thing to the point of a small puddle forming around its body. 

_Pitch black eyes. Blood red lips. Gleaming fangs._

He lowered the bottle, heart pounding in his throat as he yanked his necklace back out into the open. It had to be dead now. Right? Virgil said that spiders didn’t like peppermint. So the spray would definitely save him. Or...or should he try the citrus cleaner too? Virgil said that would also help. Yah, better to be safe than sorr--

The necklace didn’t glow. 

Patton blinked. Huh? That wasn’t right! He’d just sprayed a spi-- he peered closer at the shriveled object. “Oh.” He breathed, heat rising to his cheeks. A breadcrumb. 

He’d just freaked out over a breadcrumb. 

“Jumpy much, Pat?” He whispered, shivering as he flicked the offending object into the trash.

It really didn’t help that he was the only one home at the moment, having been the first one done with classes. Ro and Virge were still at rehearsals for another hour while Logan wouldn’t be back from work until after the sun had set. 

If there were still spiders in the house. Now was the perfect time to come attack him. _There’s no one to protect you._

**_“Wear this. Spihers hate it. Pwomise.”_ **

Patton tightened his hand on the peppermint spray. “I can defend myself.” He whispered, unconvincingly as he returned to spider-proofing the kitchen, keeping one eye on his pendant. Just in case. 

They’d only seen the one spider so far. But where there was one…there were always more. His grandparent’s house had never been free of them growing up. Especially the basement. No matter how many times Patton had gone through his bedroom down there to get rid of the creatures. The spiders would always return.

Those eight-legged menaces ruled every rafter beam and corner downstairs to the point where the mice wouldn’t venture inside for fear of losing their lives. Even his Grandpa’s old hound dog, Red, who would still chase after wolves and coyotes, refused to go anywhere near the basement door. 

The pendant had been Patton’s only protection growing up, its soft blue light keeping the spiders in their webs and away from him throughout those awful nights. 

_Pitch black eyes. Blood red lips. Gleaming fangs. “Come with me, child.”_

**_“I pwomise. You safe.”_ **

Patton shook his head, shakily inhaling. “It’s just one spider.” He whispered. It wasn’t like their last apartment at all where he’d find a dozen within the month. Lurking in corners. Hiding by the windows. Waiting just inside the front door. 

He shuddered. Never again. Never again would he live in a ground floor apartment with their easy access to the outside world. Never again would he consent to live in a basement. No. This place had been perfect. Up on the fourth floor, far out of reach of trees or bushes that could hide the little demons. 

He--They should have been safe. Even with Roman and then Logan moving in a week after he and Virgil had relocated, there had been no sign of the creatures and moving days were always prime times to find the little unwanted guests hitchhiking in boxes or furniture. 

Patton exhaled, running the citrus scented rag over the top of the fridge. He was better prepared now. Knew now not to take things for granted. He would make sure the incident never happened again. 

_Logan’s scared of spiders._

No. No other little death dealers would find it as easy to enter the premises. Citrus. Peppermint. Cinnamon. Lavender. Every natural way to get rid of the creepy crawlies now had a place in their closet thanks to Virgil. Patton could breathe easier knowing that he was fully armed with all the necessary scents to keep the eight-legged harbingers of doom away from them. 

And once he was done spider proofing the place, they’d all be able to enjoy the apartment again. Logan would no longer feel the need to hide in his room. He would return to hanging out with them all once he knew the threat was gone. 

Patton nodded to himself as he moved into the living room, grabbing another bottle of peppermint off the kitchen table as he passed. 

He would show Logan that it was safe to be here. That there would be no more spiders to fear. Ever. 

He took a breath, glancing once more to the necklace to make sure there was no glow as he steeled himself to potentially find the small demons hiding behind the furniture. 

“I’ll protect you, Lo.” He whispered, pulling the couch away from the wall, spray at the ready. “I promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

_ Patton hates me. _

Logan pulled the hood of his jacket further over his head to protect himself from the pounding rain as he slowly made his way from the Campus Library to...to his…well the apartment. 

It wasn’t like he could call the place home anymore. Not after...the incident.

**_You’re never safe. Don’t grow close to anyone, my darling. They’ll only stab you in the back._ **

He grimaced, running his tongue over his fangs as he massaged his aching chest. 

_ Patton hates spiders. He’s scared of them. He’ll be scared of me. I can’t---I can’t hurt him. _

It would be for the best. Moving out. He already had the excuses all lined up. Plausible ones even, so that the others wouldn’t ever suspect he’d suddenly left to get away from them. To get away from the nightmarish scene that haunted his dreams and kept him from getting any sort of rest these past two--no wait it was three now. Three nights. Those nightmares of Roman and Virgil attempting to kill him. Of Patton looking at him with haunted eyes, whispering ‘ _ It’s for the best _ ’ while the others cornered him, preventing him from escaping, from moving as the giant boot came dow---

Logan pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, silencing the whimper that threatened to break free from his trembling lips. 

**_Hush. Don’t cry, my spiderling. It’s kill or be killed. No need to fret over human blood._ **

He’d been a fool. Logan wouldn’t be making the same mistake again. No. There was a complex across town that would call him as soon as one of their single bedroom apartments opened up. It would stretch his already thin resources, but having peace of mind was well worth it. Not having to live in fear of his roommates would be...good. Lonely. He would...would miss talking to them, hanging with them. But it was for the best. For them. For him. For his safety...for Patton--

_ Patton hates me.  _

**_Stick to the shadows and they’ll never find you._ **

Logan shivered, pulling his hood off as he entered the ground floor to his--to the apartment complex, heading for the clanky elevator that moved slower than grass grew. 

Taking the stairs would have been quicker. 

He didn’t want to come back sooner than he had to though. He didn’t want to face them. To go through the charade that things were....fine. That he was just as human as the rest of them.

**_Draw them to you, darling, and you’ll never get tangled in your own web._ **

He couldn’t risk it anymore. If Patton ever saw him truly smile so his fangs were visible, he would scream for his death without hesitation. If Roman ever saw the red and black hourglass on his chest, the theater major would immediately pull his sword out and stab him then and there. If Virgil saw the webs Logan could create he would---Logan exhaled. He didn’t know what Virgil would do, but Virgil protected Patton and Logan would be a threat to him because Patton was scared of spiders so Virgil would act against Logan because he was part spider so-so...overall it wasn’t good. 

**_You’ll be feared. You’ll have them begging you for mercy. But you’ll learn to love it._ **

He softly growled. No. They could never find out. Never.

_ I’ll defeat the foul-demon. You’ll be safe.  _

Logan flinched as the elevator finally dinged, its metallic doors screeching open. Numbly he moved inside, hand shaking hard enough that he pressed the button for the fifth floor before managing to hit the number four.

**_I do this to protect me._ **

He just...had to survive his roommates until he got the call. Hide his spider half from them for just a little longer. It would be fine. He’d been doing it for years, long before he’d met Roman, Virgil, and...Patton.

Logan closed his eyes slumping against the side of the elevator.

But by Crofters it hurt. Hurt worse than the other times. 

Because he hadn’t let himself…be involved the other times. He’d stayed aloof. Apart from past roommates.

Mentally he cursed his lack of willpower. If he hadn’t caved in to Patton’s pleas to join them for dinner. If he hadn’t agreed to watch Big Hero Six with them after Roman found out he liked that movie. If he hadn’t volunteered to help Virgil when he’d noticed him struggling with his chemistry assignment. If he’d just stuck to the well used avoidance script...this wouldn’t have happened. He would never have gotten close to the others. He wouldn’t be feeling…feeling---He pressed a fist against his chest, against his heart that felt like it was tearing apart. 

**_It’s kill or be killed._ **

_ KILL IT! KILL IT! I hate hate hate HATE spiders. _

Hunching his shoulders as the elevator doors finally opened on his floor, Logan took a breath, steeling himself as he opened his eyes. 

Never again. He...he couldn’t do this again. 

He dragged his feet, moving reluctantly down the hallway. The others would be home now. They would be waiting for him. To have dinner. 

Not tonight. Not ever again. Not with the brown spot on the wall burned into his mind. He’d give them more excuses. Unfinished homework. Tired from work. They’d understand. Be disappointed but---

He fumbled his keys, nearly dropping them as the hairs on his arms stood up. Logan looked up, nostrils flaring as he stared at the door, getting the first wifts of dinner. 

_ It’s Patton’s turn to cook.  _

But...something was off. 

**_I promise. Your death will be quick._ **

Swallowing, Logan turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door, his senses screaming at him to turn around as the strong scent of peppermint and oranges hit him. 

_ Wrong.  _

It was all wrong. But how? He couldn’t see anything out of place. He could hear Roman and Virgil in the living room, going over their lines for the upcoming play, while the clinking of dishes and humming coming from the kitchen could only be Patton. 

It all seemed normal. 

**_You have your web. They have theirs. But yours. Yours can trap them. Yours can kill them. Theirs are just gossamer strings. Easily broken._ **

_ A Trap.  _

But how? The Peppermint? A new cleaning tool of Patton’s judging by the now gleaming baseboards. That couldn’t be--was it? Had they figured him out? No. They couldn’t have. But...why was this scent...Logan took a shallow breath as he stepped inside, his senses buzzing with alarm. It made it difficult to keep moving his leadened feet as he automatically dropped his keys into the dish by the side of the door, reluctantly kicking off his shoes and putting his backpack down so he could slip his jacket off and onto a hook to dry. 

“Logan?” Patton called out. “Is that you?” 

**_They can never find you if they don’t know who you are._ **

He flinched, sliding his phone into his pants’ pocket. Who else would enter this late with a key? “Ya--” He cleared his throat, feeling the venom welling in his fangs in defense. Why hadn’t he come back inside more quietly? He could have avoided talking to them until he figured out what was wrong before needing to speak. “Yes. I’m--ho--here.” He managed, blinking rapidly to keep his fogging vision clear as he edged further into the apartment.

_ It’s not home. These people will turn on you as soon as they find out you’re different.  _

**_Strike first. So easy to kill. Look. A single snap._ **

“You’re just in time!” Patton turned, flashing him a wide smile as Logan hesitated in the kitchen doorway, a pitcher of lemonade in his hands.

_ Was it too wide of a smile?  _

“Here, Lo, can you put-” Pat’s foot caught on the small rug in front of the sink, sending him stumbling right into Logan, the contents of the pitcher splashing him directly in the face and soaking his shirt.

_ PAIN.  _

_ DEATH.  _

_ ESCAPE! _

Logan recoiled with a shriek, barely hearing Pat’s apology as the liquid burned his skin, the peppermint and lemon clogging his senses as he slammed into the wall. He brushed frantically at his eyes with the back of one hand, sending his glasses flying, while the other tore his shirt and the  _ death liquid  _ soaking it off of him, flinging the ruined garment away. 

_ OFF. OFF. GET IT OFF!  _

“Lo-Logan?” Patton whispered. 

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

He stilled, looking up with watery eyes, fangs fully bared as he gasped for breath, heart sinking as he saw Patton frozen in place, hand half outreached, the color draining from his face as he stared at Logan’s chest. 

_ The Hourglass.  _

“Logan...is that?” Roman asked at the same time Virgil whispered, “Dude...you’re--” Their eyes too were both focused on the symbol on his chest as Roman lifted his hand, reaching for the swords hanging in the hallway. 

_ They knew. They were going to kill him.  _

**_It’s kill or be killed. Strike first._ **

He reacted instinctively, flicking his wrists, sending silken threads shooting at both Roman and Virgil, trapping them against the couch before either could take another step. Before they could grab a sword, swatter, or boot to crush him. Kill him.

**_Now. SNAP THEIR NECKS!_ **

_ No. NEVER. _

“Spi--spi---spi---!”

Logan whirled at Patton’s unsteady voice ignoring the others surprised cries behind him, his webs ready to---

He couldn’t...couldn’t web Patton. 

_ He’s scared of spiders. _

Patton whimpered, stumbling backwards into the counter, hand clutching his necklace as he continued staring at Logan’s chest with large terrified eyes. “Spi-spi-spi-spi--” 

“Don’t you DARE WEB PATTON, LO--mmph!” 

Logan flicked a hand out, gagging Roman before he could speak further. Before he could scream. 

**_Trap them. Web them. Kill them._ **

_ Patton’s scared spiders. _

_ He...he hates me.  _

**_KILL THEM._ **

_ I just--- _

He glanced to the others. To Roman. To Virgil. All staring at him with wide eyes. Trapped. At his mercy.

“Lo.” Virgil said, his voice deliberately soft, trying to be soothing though Logan could hear the tremor in his heart. See the terror in his face.

**_A Human Widow Leaves No Survivors. KILL THEM. BEFORE THEY KILL YOU._ **

Patton’s legs gave out sending him to the floor with a loud thud. “Spi-spi-Ple-please. No. No. nonononono.” He whimpered, eyes glazing over, hand white on his necklace, tears streaming down his cheeks. 

_ He’s scared. Scared of me. _

Logan dropped his hands, one arm covering the horrible hourglass on his chest as a sob tore free from his throat. 

**_NO MERCY. DEATH TO ALL._ **

_ Oh, Crofters. _

_ What have I done? _

“I’m _ sorr--”  _ He cut off, voice cracking, feeling the venom dripping from his fangs.

_ He was nothing but a monster.  _

**_KILL THEM._**  
He had to leave.

**_It’s kill or be killed, my spiderling. KILL THEM!_ **

NOW. 

Logan broke into a dead run, grabbing his coat off the hook as he flew past and back out the door, fleeing to the stairs.

_ Foul-demon. _

_ MONSTER. _

He took the stairs three at a time, instantly getting soaked by the pounding rain as he darted outside seconds later.

He didn’t care. 

It didn’t stop the burning on his skin. Didn’t stop his heart from shattering into a million pieces.

_ Pl-ple-please. No. _

_ I hate hate hate hate spiders! _

Clutching the coat to his chest to avoid anyone else seeing the hourglass, he ran, splashing through puddles and recklessly crossing traffic to put as much distance between himself and his roommat--the others as possible.

**_They’re going to kill you. They’re going to kill you. Fool. Weakling. No son of mine would have hesitated!_ **

Logan ran until he was on the far side of campus where the landscaping crew kept their gear. Diving into a partially collapsed shed, half hidden in the trees, he shoved past the broken rusted equipment therein to take shelter in the darkest corner. He twisted, back to the wall as his wrists flicked again and again, haphazardly making a thick web to protect himself, the threads shimmering a soft blue as the spiders around Logan fled up into the rafters.

_ As it should be. _ ****

_ Monster. _

He inhaled raggedly, raking his eyes over the web as it faded out to a near white, ensuring that his defenses were set so no one could reach him.

_ Not even Patton.  _

Why would he want to?

_ No. No. Pl-please. Nonononono! Spi-spi-spi-- _

Logan curled into a tight ball around his damp coat, making himself as small and invisible as possible, silken threads wrapped around his fingers to alert him to any movement outside his web cocoon. 

_ Monster. _

_ Monster. _

_ Monster. _

_ Monster. _

Logan closed his burning eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks as he shivered in the darkness, the image of Patton’s terrified expression engraved in his mind.

_ Spi-spi- Pl-please. No. nononononono.  _

“I’m sorry, Patton.” He whispered. He hadn’t wanted---Logan rested his head against his knees. “So sorry.” 


	4. Chapter 4

The red and black hourglass pulsed in Patton’s vision. Growing Bigger. Redder. Bloodier. 

_ Warm arms surrounded him, pulling him from the motionless purpling form of Mr. Wratchet, his first grade teacher. “No!” He whimpered through teary eyes. “Teacher. You’ll be okay! You’ll be okay!”  _

_ “Aren’t you a precious thing?” A woman’s voice cooed, lifting him up. “So soft. So caring. It’s sickening and perfect.” She pressed him close to the upside down red triangle on her chest. “There, there.” She soothed as his classmates screamed around them. _

“Spi-spi-spi--” 

_ Cool hands ran through his hair, fingernails raking painfully across his scalp. “It’s alright. You’ll be safe with me.” _

_ Patton sniffed, pushing away from the red mark on the strange lady. He looked up. “I wan---” He froze, eyes slowly moving from the blood stained lips, to the sharp fangs as the woman smiled, up to her eyes. Her six pitch black eyes. Why did the lady have SIX eyes?!?! “Momma.” He choked out. “I WANT MOMMA!”  _

_ She slowly shook her head, her wild brown hair tumbling over two of her eyes as she covered his mouth, not even flinching as he bit her hand. She laughed instead, her hold around him tightening as another hand easily forced his head back against that red triangle on her chest. “Feisty and caring. I do like you.”  _

_ He bit down harder on the hand in his mouth, fighting against her hold on him as another set of fingers trailed up and down his back keeping him in place as the six-eyed lady left the classroom. “MMFFMMH!!!” He screamed.  _

_ “Hush. Hush. You won’t need your momma for much longer, dear one.”  _

“Spi-spi-spi-” 

“Don’t you DARE WEB PATTON, Lo-mmmph!” 

_ The woman abruptly set him down, easily pulling her hand from his teeth, smoothing his shirt, fixing his hair. Her lips parted, again revealing her fangs.  _

_ Fangs that had sunk into Mr. Wrachet’s neck, before her hands had twisted his head in a complete circle.  _

_ “You. Are. Perfect.” Two hands kept a tight grip on his shoulders as she half turned, gesturing with a third to the shadows. “Spiderling.” She called gently. “I have your breakfast.”  _

“Spi-spi-Ple-please.”

_ Patton stiffened, scream muffled by a fourth hand as the shadows shifted. A boy a little younger than himself edged out of the darkness, his two eyes the same black color as the woman’s. Those eyes landed on Pat and narrowed as the child opened his mouth, revealing two tiny fangs as he held out his hands to the woman. “Momma?” He asked as she drew him closer. “Where Bweakfast?”  _

“No. No.”

_ Patton whimpered. Already knowing the answer. No! No! The woman ruffled the boy’s hair. “Right here, dearest.” She said, forcing Patton to his knees, webs shooting from her hands to hold him place. _

“Nonononono!”

_ Patton cried out in terror as she twisting his head, webbing him so he couldn’t move, exposing his neck to the child’s teeth. “Right here.” _

A choked voice. “I’m  _ sorr--” _

_ “Sowwy.” The boy whispered, creeping closer, touching the webs holding Patton captive. “I sowwy.”  _

A door slammed.

Patton screamed, recoiling.  _ DON’T BITE ME!! _

_ “No need to apologize to your food, darling.”  _

“Pat!”

“MMM!”

“Pat! PATTON!”

“MMAAA-AAAHHHOONNN”

“PATTON ANSWER US!” 

Patton shuddered, the red hourglass still burned in his vision no matter how much he blinked.

_ Fangs. Death. BLOOD.  _

“PAT!” 

The others. His friends. They---they needed help! Patton sharply inhaled, turning to the noise, the apartment abruptly snapping into focus. 

“H-h-here.” He shakily croaked out in answer to Virgil’s frantic voice, focusing on the spilled pitcher of lemonade on the floor, on the smell of mint and lemon all around him. 

Here. At the Apartment. Safe. Here. Not. He shivered. Not there. At the school.

A sigh of relief from near the couch. “Are you okay? Did Logan hurt you?”

Hurt? Patton frowned, feeling his neck. No scars. No bumps. How…..How had-- _ why wasn’t he dead?  _

_ The Hourglass. Gleaming Fangs. Pitch black eyes. “Sowwy.”  _

_ “I’m sorr--”  _

Patton numbly reached out, pulling himself shakily to his feet, flinching as Virgil’s and Roman’s webbed up forms came into view.

_ Trapped. Can’t move. The webs. All those webs!! _

Relief flashed across their ashened faces. “You didn’t get webbed.” Virgil said in a low voice as Roman voiced muffled agreement. “Think you can help us out?” 

Patton clung to his necklace, struggling to draw a full breath as he mutely nodded. He was free to help yes, but...but--

_ The necklace hadn’t glowed. _

_ Why hadn’t it glowed around Logan? It had glowed before…with the woman- _

He swallowed hard, his stomach twisting unpleasantly.

How could he have forgotten that...forgotten the Human Widow who’d murdered two classrooms full of students and teachers--forgotten that he’d almost...that the spider lady had--was that why his grandmother had home schooled him for two years?! Because of this-this memory? 

Patton grimaced, rubbing his head as he staggered over to them, a death grip on the pendant. 

Help. He had to help them. Save them. From the Webs.

Shakily he reached for Roman’s mouth, only to flinch, jerking back as he touched the sticky gag, a whimper escaping him. 

_ Trapped! TRAPPED! _

Virgil tugged at his own webs, giving him a concerned frown. “Pat--you don’t have to--” 

Patton violently shook his head.  _ NO!  _ He needed to help them out! Save his roommates! With a quick movement he grabbed the web, tearing it from Roman’s mouth and flinging it away before it could get stuck to him.

Ro muffled a yelp of pain, ducking his head against his chest. “Ow.” He managed a second later, rapidly blinking tears from his eyes as he looked back up.

Shoot! He hadn’t meant to-- “S-sorry” Patton apologized rubbing his hand against his pants to get the sticky feeling off his fingers. “I-I think…” He drew another shaky breath. “I-I’m--” 

_ “All mine?” The child queried, tilting his head. “Eat all mine?”  _

_ Patton whimpered, struggling to move in the webs covering him.  _

_ The woman softly laughed, nodding. “I picked him out specially for you, my spiderling.”  _

_ The boy licked his lips, fangs glimmering as he leaned into the woman’s side. “All mine?” He repeated, small fingers touching Patton’s shoulder. “Where yours Momma?” _

_ “Upstairs. I’ll feast on the newcomers. No worries, Logan. Momma will eat too.” She said, two of her hands guiding the boy’s fangs to Patton’s exposed neck as faint voices and stomping sounded overhead. “Hurry now.” She encouraged, withdrawing. “It’s fast food today.” _

“Pat?” 

Patton inhaled sharply, blinking his vision clear. “Fine.” He squeaked out. 

His roommates shared a look. 

“You sure?” Virge asked, voice soft. “You look--”

“Paler than Count Dracula here.” 

Virgil snorted, raising an eyebrow. “I think we can all compete for that title right now--But it is true, Pat.” He straightened as best he could, worrying his bottom lip “Maybe you should sit for a sec?”

Roman nodded, a bit of color coming back to his cheeks as he leaned towards Patton. “Before you faint, Padre.”

_ A Human Widow! Here! You could have died! _

GET A GRIP. His roommates needed him. He had to help! Patton fought to give them a reassuring smile, tugging at his necklace. “I’m fi-fine...H-how are Y-you?” 

_ Obviously not fine. They were trapped. Trapped in the we-webs! _

Again, they exchanged looks before Roman made a face, yanking at his arms with enough force to shift the couch a good foot from its original spot. “I’m perfectly fine. He caught me off guard for sure. Of all things, WEBS! I wouldn’t have--”

“I’m good too. Just surprised.” Virge interrupted giving him a faint smile, eyes glittering as he too worked to free himself. “I knew he wasn’t normal...but a Human Widow! A MALE Human Widow, Pat! Emile isn’t going to believe me.” 

_ The necklace had never glowed around Logan. _

**_“The ring glows! Safe. Spihers no like. Momma go bye bye. Momma no huwt you.”_ **

He should have been safe from Human Widows.

_ Evil spider. Evil Lady Spider. Wanting to feed him to her son. Feed him to Logan-- _ Wait. 

Patton caught his breath, eyes going wide. 

Virgil frowned, searching Patton’s face. “What?” 

The ring protected him from them. The boy--

_ The boy’s teeth ghosted along his neck, breath warm against Patton’s skin. “I sowwy.” He said, softly. “Hod still k?” _

_ Patton whimpered, unable to move in the webs the woman had covered him in. “You--you’re g-g-g-oonna kill me.” He sobbed, closing his eyes. He’d heard the woman. This boy, Logan, was going to eat him. “I donwanna DIE! DON’T KILL ME!”  _

_ A quiet huff.  _

_ Patton yelped as something jabbed his chest. Opening his eyes, he met the boy’s pitch black ones as Logan leaned in close, pressing his forehead against Patton’s. _

_ “I. No. Eat. You.” He said forcefully, keeping eye contact, dipping his hands under Patton’s head. “SEE?”  _

_ A gentle tug and he stepped back, a wad of webbing held in his hands. “See. Safe. Hod still.” Logan advanced again, little fingers easily tearing away the remaining webs, from Patton, freeing him in seconds. “No eat. No die. All safe. K?”  _

_ Patton gaped at him, shakily getting to his feet as the spider child threw the webs into a corner. “Why...why not?”  _

_ Logan wrinkled his nose. “I no mamma. Bad tase you. ALL bad. BLEH.”  _

_ He tasted bad? “Oh.” Patton whispered. But then why did the lady want-- _

_ “Mhmmm” The boy nodded, grabbing his hand, tugging him to another door against the far wall. “Here. Huwwy. Run FAST! Mamma come soon. Go. GO!”  _

_ Run fast? But. He balked as the boy opened the door, revealing the playground outside as he attempted to shove Patton through. “She’ll catch me! I can’t...I’m too little!” He’d never been the fastest runner on the playground, she would catch him for sure. She would kill him!  _

_ The boy huffed, stomping his foot. “No! I liddle. You big.” He jabbed a hand outside. “You safe there! Pwomise!”  _

_ “You’re just a baby!” Patton shot back. “How can you keep me safe?” He couldn’t run fast enough! She’d been so fast in kil--killing Mr. Wratchet. _

_ The boy growled, and twisted to grab at something on the ground. “With DIS.” He said, holding out an old nail.  _

“YO! PATTON!” Ro yelled, bringing the apartment back into focus as he wrenched one hand free, waving it energetically. “Earth to Pat, Dude stop staring. It’s freaky.” 

Patton barely saw the hand for the red and black hourglass filling his vision. “Logan.” Patton whispered, turning to the doorway. To where his roommate had stood. Had apologized instead of attacking him. 

_ He’s A SPIDER! He’s a spider! A HUMAN WIDOW! WE’RE GOING TO DIE! Don’t be an idiot. Don’t go after him. It’s a trap! Human Widows lure you into their traps and-- _

**“** **_Safe. I no huwt you. Pwomise._ ** **”**

That was the child’s voice. That was Logan’s voice. 

Virgil huffed, ducking to avoid Ro smacking him in the face. “He’s not here. L’s long gone by now. We’re safe enough.”

“Yah, Dude’s more terrified than we are.” Roman agreed, using his free hand to tug at one of Virge’s trapped arms. “Did you see how quickly he fled?”

**_“Safe. You Safe.”_ **

_ Was it possible?  _ Patton dropped his hand to the necklace, heart pounding in his throat. He had to know. _ WAS his roommate Logan the same little Logan from those memories? _

“Because you were an idiot and reached for the swords!” Virge hissed. “You meet your first Spliced and you  _ threaten  _ hi--”

“I WAS REACHING TO HIM, EMO NIGHTMARE! NOT THE SWO--” Ro cut off taking a deep breath. “Alright. I admit. I messed up there. But I wasn’t going to fight him!” He growled, moving to instead tear at the webbing tangling his feet. “I was trying to--’

**_“Pwomise. No huwt.”_ **

_ “How can a nail save me?” Patton demanded. _

_ Logan’s eyes sparked. “Like dis!” He said, easily bending the ring into a circle, small blue threads appearing between his fingers. _

A Human Widow was supposed to hurt, to kill, to massacre.

Patton could remember all too well Lo’s gleaming fangs as he screamed, how his amber colored eyes had gone completely black as the glasses flew from his face. A Human Widow.

Who had left them alive. Who had dropped his hands. Who’d stuttered out an apology. And fled.

Logan had fled. Alone. Into the storm.

_ “See?” He held up the slightly glowing ring. “Wear dis. Spihers no like. Momma go bye bye. Momma no huwt you. Be safe.” _

**_Safe._ **

They’d been safe for six months. 

_ Widows kill within four.  _

_ Why didn’t Logan kill them? Kill him. Back then? _

**_“I pwotect you.”_ **

“I have to go.” Patton said, darting out the door without another word, ignoring his roommates cries of surprise, trusting that they would soon follow. After all, the two did theater. They could easily sort themselves out of spi--. He shuddered. Spider webs.

_ THAT CAME FROM LOGAN’S HANDS. AHHHHHHHH!!! _

“No. Shush.” He whispered, shoving the terrifying thought away as he ran barefoot down the stairs. 

_ You’re running to your doom. He’s a HUMAN WIDOW! Just like the lady. She KILLED Mr. Wratchet right in front of you. She tried to kill you! _

But the boy hadn’t! He’d helped him escape! Patton growled, brushing the necklace to soothe himself. “He’s my friend. He’s Logan. He. Won’t. Hurt. Me.” 

_ Please let it be true.  _

But Human Black Widows were the most likely of all the Spliced to give into their inhuman sides. The most likely to turn on you and ki--kill. 

_ “No need to apologize to your food, darling.”  _

Patton shivered. After seeing those fa-fangs in person. The...the WEBS. Patton could believe it-- NO. He violently shook his head. 

_ “I’m sorr--”  _

**_“Sowwy.”_ **

_ “Sorry.” _

Logan was different. 

“LOGAN _! _ ” Patton cried out, voice cracking as he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, bursting out into the pouring rain.

If Human Widows were as dangerous as history had taught...then why had Logan run? Why had he been so standoffish when he first moved in? Why had it taken ages to convince him to hang out with the rest of them? The Widow’s M.O. was to seduce and charm their victims, taking their money before taking their lives. 

That wasn’t Lo. 

Patton spun in a circle. If he were Logan and he were running away where would-- “School.” He whispered. Their nerd would head towards campus. He nodded. That had to be right. 

“Logan! WAIT! STOP!” He yelled, splashing barefoot through the puddles as thunder rumbled overhead, trying to see his roommate in the fading light.

Why had he fled? Why hadn’t he tried to tell them? Why wasn’t he using logic and talking to them-- 

_ Dude’s more terrified than we are. _

The webs.

The fangs.

The mark.

Spider.

Logan was part Spider. 

_ I’m sure the spiders are more scared of you than you are of them, Pat.  _

Patton stumbled to a stop by the statue of their school mascot, clutching at his pendant as the horrible realization hit. 

_ I hate Spiders. I HATE SPIDERS! _

Logan hadn’t been avoiding the living room because he was scared of spiders. He’d been avoiding his roommates. Logan was scared of  _ THEM. _

That was why he’d stopped hanging out in the kitchen. That was why he’d hidden in his room. That was why he’d run. 

_ KILL IT! KILL IT! _

He was scared they’d hurt him too. 

Patton closed his eyes, banging a fist against the concrete statue.  _ Idiot. _ Why hadn’t he realized--No wonder Logan had fled. How could he feel safe in the apartment when Patton had just spent the day making it uninhabitable to spiders. How could Logan talk to them--to him about the issue when Patton had made it perfectly clear that he--

_ I hate hate HATE spiders!  _

“It’s my fault.” He whispered, lifting his head, heart sinking. If he hadn’t freaked out. If he hadn’t had Roman kill--- “LOGAN!” He yelled. “Please! Come back! I’m _sor--_ ” He cut off, shoving away from the statue. 

He had to make this right. He had to find his roommate.

But how could he find a spider when it didn’t want to be found? 

_ Why would you want to? _

**_“Keep you safe.”_ **

He rounded a corner. Searching the nearly empty campus. Come on. Come on! Think logically. Logan wasn’t just a spider. He was human too. He was smart. But he was panicking. How much like a spider would he act? How human could he be with his senses clouded from that stupid Mint Lemonade Patton had made? 

_ The Lemonade. _

Logan had screamed when it touched him.

It had hurt him.

_ Oh Crofters.  _

Patton put on a burst of speed. 

He’d hurt Logan. He’d hurt his friend! How could-- 

_ Was it painful? Was he dying? HAD HE JUST KILLED LOGAN?! _

“LOGAN” Patton screamed over the rumbling thunder. “PLEASE! STOP! COME BACK.” 

_ Why should he? You made it quite clear he isn’t welcomed. _

The Human Widow could be anywhere. There was no way to know if he’d even come to the school, let alone which building he could have ducked into. It wasn’t like they could track---

Patton gasped, wiping the rain from his glasses as he stopped under a tree. “Tracking. Our phones!” He frantically patted his pants, pulling the device from a back pocket with trembling fingers. 

It had been Virgil’s idea, after the last hurricane, to download an app that would track their phones so in case of an emergency they could know where everyone was. 

“Please…” He prayed, fingers trembling as he tapped on the square, watching the screen slowly load. 

_ It won’t work. It’s Logan. He wouldn’t keep it active.  _

He squeezed his phone, staring at the screen. Please. Logan please. Still have it enabled. Please.

_ Bing.  _

Patton laughed, leaning against the tree trunk, staring at the four colored dots that had appeared up on the map. Four.

“Found you.” He whispered as more thunder rumbled overhead, his heart pounding in his chest as he clicked on Logan’s stationary blue dot, activating the GPS to guide him. 

He’d been right. Logan was here on Campus. 

“I’m coming, Lo.” Patton promised, once more darting out into the rain, following the arrow on the map. “I’ll make things right.”  _ Somehow.  _


	5. Chapter 5

**_It’s kill or be killed._ **

**_You should have KILLED THEM._ **

**_DEATH. BLOOD._ **

Logan curled up tighter, teeth chattering as he listened to the thunder and rain overhead, flinching with each and every raindrop that fell onto his webs. 

_ Monster.  _

**_KILL THEM._ **

_ Ple-ple-please nononnonono NO! _

_ I hate spiders.  _

Logan’s breath hitched as he shivered in the dark. He’d been an idiot. Been so unprepared. 

**_They will kill you, so kill them first. You don’t need to run if the threat is gone. You can come home._ **

His fingers twitched along the webs in a fruitless attempt to soothe himself as he glanced up to make sure the threads not touching his skin were still in their near white shade. He couldn’t relax, couldn’t pass the time spinning mini webs between his fingers to distract himself. Not when he was in danger. Not when he needed to stay on guard.

_ Monster.  _

He exhaled, rubbing his burning face against his damp jeans. It was just like when he’d had to flee from his mom when she’d seen his widow mark. 

**_You were just like me. Oh sweetheart. You shouldn’t have shown me you weren’t._ **

“I’m not you.” He whispered, the wet jacket pressed against the red and black hourglass on his chest. Red and Black. Not plain red. He hadn’t known it would make such a difference then. “Never will be. Ever.” He wasn’t a killer...even though his roommates probably believed he was. Believed he had blood on his hands. 

_ KILL IT! KILL IT! _

Logan shook his head, flinching as more rain dripped onto his webs. 

At least back then he’d been prepared to leave everything when his mother turned on him. He’d had a backpack waiting in the trees with food, money, and clothes. He’d known it would only be a matter of time. She had killed all the other men in her life. Why not her son too? Especially when he’d been--

**_Stop being so stubborn! These humans will turn on you first chance they get. I do this to protect me. Soon you’ll do the same._ **

_ It was only a matter of time. _

**_It’s kill or be killed and you just died, my spiderling._ **

_ “I will slay this foul demon!”  _

Now here he was at square one with no shirt, no shoes and no wallet. He’d been caught off guard. 

Logan sniffed, brushing his eyes against his bare shoulder. Why had he been such an idiot? Allowing himself to grow soft after years of no one attacking him out of fear. Relaxing as the growing acceptance of Spliced in society had made it much easier to blend in. To feel...normal. 

**_Blend in. Work your way into their confidence. They’ll never see death coming...until too late._ **

Logan gritted his teeth.

Foolish.

Sure. Those Spliced with wolf, cat, bird, or even freaking snake DNA could be allowed their place alongside normal humans.

But a Human Widow? 

Never.

_ Monster. _

**_It’s kill or be killed. They’ll kill you._ **

**_They don’t understand, dearest. They never will._ **

_ I HATE SPIDERS. _

**_Kill them. It’s easier that way._ **

_ No. Ple-ple-spi-spi-- Nonononono. _

_ Patton…hates me. He fears me.  _

For good reason. Logan swallowed, tasting the venom dripping from his fangs, still going strong even as his heart rate slowed in its frantic beating. 

He should have left the very night Patton had expressed his hatred. He should have torn up his roots then and there and moved on. Disappearing before the others could act against him.

He’d been a fool.

**_Weakling. You can’t trust humans._ **

_ I shall slay the foul-demon! Never fear!  _

_ I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate Spiders! _

Logan hunched his shoulders, chest aching. 

He had grown weak. Because...because he already missed them. Virgil. Roman. Pa--He drew in a shaky breath. And Patton.

It had been nice. Feeling...feeling like he was a normal human being around them. Feeling...accepted...Loved. 

_ Monster.  _

_ You attacked them.  _

_ Webbed them up.  _

_ There’s no going back now.  _

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

Never again. He knew better now. Logan exhaled, shoulders slumping. In the morning he’d hit the road. Find a pho---he froze. Phone _. _

CRAP.

He still had his phone on him! 

The police could track his cell phone signal.

No.

His heart dropped.

HIS ROOMATES COULD TRACK HIM. 

Logan shoved the webs into one hand, using the other to fish the cold metallic object from his pocket, his clammy fingers making the phone difficult to use as he frantically swiped at the screen to get to the Tracking App.

_ Idiot. Stupid. Foolish. Dummy!  _

He should never have downloaded the thing in the first place! 

**Never let them find you.**

_ Sentiment. He’d grown too soft. _

Now he could only hope that his roommates were too distraught to remembe--

“Logan?” 

Ice shot down his spine as his head shot up, nostrils flaring, his phone slipping from frozen fingers to land face down in his lap.

_ Patton.  _

**_Death comes. Foolish child. You should have struck first._ **

Too late. Logan had remembered too late. His heart constricted in his chest as he hunkered down, closing his eyes, gripping the silk threads in both hands like a drowning man clinging to a daisy. 

Patton. Why was it Patton?! Why would he willingly be here?

_ He hates me.  _

No. He wouldn’t be here willingly, not without backup. Protection. 

Logan swallowed, the venom flowing from his fangs. 

_ Surrounded.  _

“Lo...it’s--it’s just me. Please...come out?” 

Just him? Of...of course. The others were probably still stuck in his webs.

**_Trapped. Unable to flee. Unable to scream. Death comes to them easily, spiderling._ **

_ I hate spiders! I hate hate hate hate them! _

Logan shuddered. They knew what he was. Patton knew! It didn’t make any sense. Patton hated him. Why would he ever consider coming ALONE? 

Logan exhaled, opening his eyes, staring bleakly at the webs. Maybe he wasn’t alone. Maybe it was--

_ A trap. The police are waiting nearby. Pat’s just...just the bait to draw me out.  _

The thought left a sour taste in his mouth, the venom in his fangs going dry at the thought. 

**_Such a stupid tactic. But such a delicious meal, my darling. An easy trap to spring and to escape from. An easy meal that came willingly into my web._ **

Logan gritted his teeth. No! He wasn’t going to hurt Patton. He wouldn’t do that.

But that was what the police expected. For him to take the bait. To come out of hiding for the chance to claim another victim. It’s what his mother had always done. Gone for the easy meal. It was a Human Widow’s M.O.. Hadn’t his great-great grandmother attacked when the police finally cornered her? Hadn’t his great-grandfather led the police on a merry chase time and time again? Hadn’t his mother done the same thing when her murdered husbands were discovered? She’d killed the bait, bitten four policemen, killing two of them on the spot before vanishing without a trace. 

**_Don’t worry sweetheart. They will never catch me._ **

Dangerous. He would be treated as dangerous. Unstable. Unable to be reasoned with.

_Monster._

“Logan?”

He tensed, watching a single light play along the weathered boards. 

“Please, It’s...it’s just me. I promise.”

_ Patton hates spiders. _

_ He can’t be here alone. _

Logan strained his ears, listening for other noises. Trying to hear any other humans nearby. 

Nothing.

That didn’t mean they weren’t there though. The rain could mask scents, alter sounds.

Maybe… Logan shrunk down. Maybe if he held still, stayed quiet, Patton would think he’d ditched his phone nearby. That he wasn’t there. Then everyone would leave. 

He grimaced. Yah right.

_ I hate spiders. _   


Patton had to have seen the webs, the silk threads far too thick to be from a normal spider.

He knew Logan was there. 

_ Idiot. _

He’d given himself away trying to protect himself. 

He’d sealed his own doom. 

“Lo. Please. I know you’re in there.” Patton said, his voice echoing around the shed as he circled it. “Please. C-come out. I...I want to talk. To...to…” He exhaled, pausing in the entrance, the light from his cellphone shining on the water covered threads, making them shimmer. 

Logan stiffened. The webs were shimmering.

_ But not with the blue glow.  _

His defenses weren’t activating. The webs should have shone to alert him that Patton was there!

Logan shrank deeper into the shadows, heart pounding in his ears. 

**_It’s kill or be killed._ **

Stay quiet. 

**_KILL HIM. ATTACK NOW!_ **

Stay still. 

**_They can’t follow you if they’re dead._ **

They couldn’t know for sure he was in here until he made a noise. The evidence of his phone and webbing could be purely circumstantial until then. 

“Lo...I’m…” The light bobbed back and forth. “I’m  _ sorry. _ ” Patton’s voice cracked.  _ “ _ I’m sorry I...I scared you.  _ Hurt  _ you. That I...I made you afraid. I...I--” He broke off with a sob. 

“Pat.” Logan whispered, watching the light with wide eyes, his fingers trembling on the webs. Why...why was he apologizing? It wasn’t--Logan was the monster here! Not him. 

**_A Trap._ **

_ Patton hates spiders. He hates me. Why would he ever apologize? _

Logan hunched his shoulders. No. He...he couldn’t believe this. 

**_I do this to protect me, sweetheart._ **

“Lo, I--” The light wobbled at the entrance as Patton shakily inhaled. “I-if you’re not going to come out here...”

Logan tensed as wood creaked.

“The--then...ummm...I’m...I’ll come to you!” He called in a voice thick with fear. 

His heart skipped a beat.

Impossible. 

_ He HATES Me. He CAN’T come.  _

**_You have the advantage here. The dark. The webs. Easy Prey. Drawing ever closer to the center of your web._ **

“I’ll sh-show you I’m not...I’m not SCARED. Not of you. We’re friends! I-I’m NOT scared. Jus-just you wai-wait and see.” 

Logan shook his head minutely, watching the light, pressing against the back of the shed as the light passed near his hiding place. Patton was scared of spiders. With how thickly he’d covered this place in his webs, there was no way--He caught his breath as the threads nearest the entrance trembled.

_ No way. No. Way. _

_ Where was the blue glow? Patton was a threat! It should glow if he was coming near. _

The webs again shook, sending vibrations straight to his fingers. Movement. Coming closer. Coming right at him.

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

“J-just try-try to sto-stop me, Lo.” Patton said shakily as the light grew larger. “Cus...cus...I’m gonna co-come over there and-and--and hug you! 

Impossible. 

Patton couldn’t! He  _ wouldn’t _ come. Because...because...

_ He hates me. _

He won’t come. He won’t _ \-- _

Logan froze, his eyes going wide as the taut threads tangled in his fingers went limp. 


	6. Chapter 6

It was like staring into the depths of his darkest nightmare. 

_ Red. Blood. “You won’t need your momma for much longer, dear one.” _

Patton shakily inhaled, glancing to his phone and Logan’s dot blinking back at him, before again peering inside. 

Okay. It was like staring into the depths of his  _ second  _ darkest nightmare. Spider webs. Their thick, glossy, white threads dripping with rain, crisscrossed through the old abandoned shed covering every inch of the place from the rusty clippers to the broken ladders to the crushed riding lawnmower that had been the most recent casualty of Spirit Week.

It was a very visible and very sticky trap that just screamed to Patton to turn around and run before Aragog himself burst from its black depths with glimmering fangs dripping with bloo--

_ Fangs that had sunk into Mr. Wrachet’s neck, before her hands had twisted his head in a complete circle.  _

Patton gritted his teeth, clutching at his pendant.  _ Stop.  _ “It’s-it’s just Logan in there.” He whispered. 

A very scared, terrified, and possibly hurt Logan. All alone in the dark, damp, half collapsed shed surrounded by...by the webs and--He shuddered, glancing at the necklace to confirm its light blue glow.

_ It doesn’t glow for Logan.  _

But it did glow for regular old spiders.

Patton whimpered.

**_“Keep you safe. Pwomise.”_ **

_ Why here, Lo? Why did you have to pick here?  _

It was the last place he would have thought their nerd would take cover in.

_ He’s more scared of you than you are of him.  _

Patton swallowed, wishing he’d put on shoes before chasing after Logan. Who knew how many other spi--spiders lurked within the shed waiting to nibble on his toes. 

_ Lo needs you. He’s scared. He needs to know he’s safe. _

**_“Safe.”_ **

Gripping his pendant tightly in one trembling hand, Patton edged his way forward, his necklace casting a soft blue glow on the webs as he paused just inside.

_ Come on. Come on. Show him you’re not afraid! _

Breathing fast and shallow, Patton braced himself and stepped into the first shimmering web, tearing its sticky ickiness out of his way, aiming for the back of the shed where he was sure he saw something move.

_ GIANT SPI--Logan. It’s LOGAN. SHUSH.  _

But how could he be sure? What if it wasn’t him? 

_ Blood stained lips smiled as six pitch black eyes blinked down at him. “It’s alright. You’ll be safe with me.” _

**“** **_Pwotect you. Pwomise.”_ **

Another soft whimper escaped him as more blue tinged webs fell on his arms like a glowing gossamer sweater. His reaching fingers and shuffling feet disturbed old rusted tools scattered on the floor, the noise echoing in his ears as Patton felt his way forward, one cautious step at a time. 

_ Please. For the love of Crofters. Please. No other spiders. No. Spiders. GO AWAY other Spiders.  _

“I--I know you’r-you’re sc-scaAAAAHH!” He yelped, wiping frantically at his face, nearly losing his glasses as a web unexpectedly fell on him, its sticky threads cool and damp from the rain. 

_Webs that shimmered throughout the playground as the blood stained woman stalked through swings, searching for him._ _“You can’t hide from me forever child. Come out. Come out to plaaaay~~”_

He couldn’t get the things off of him fast enough.

_ Had there been a spider on that? Oh, Crofters. Oh CROFTERS.  _

Patton shuddered, his skin prickling as he again held out his necklace in defense, using his other hand to shine his phonelight around. He couldn’t  _ see _ them. But that didn’t mean the spiders weren’t there. 

_ He huddled deeper in the bushes, the ring clutched tightly in his hand as he fought to keep quiet, holding as still as the sticks on the ground around him.  _

_ “I  _ am _ the shadows, child! You can’t hide within my domain. Come out to me.” A crimson smile flashed across her face as four arms spread out and up to the sky. “And I’ll make your death quick.” _

_ BLOOD.  _

Don’t. Think. About. It!

“I’m fine! _”_ Patton quickly called out to reassure himself and his roommate.

_ I’m not afraid. I’m NOT afraid.  _

**_“Safe.”_ **

Was Logan even in here? The app had said so but-- 

_ Little Logan edged out of the shadows. “Momma?” He asked, eyes dark with hunger as he drew closer. “Where Bweakfast?”  _

NO. NO. Logan wouldn’t eat him! Hurt him. He wouldn’t! 

“It’s...I’m not scared of y-you, Lo!” He managed to choke out as he tore through more of the thick shimmering threads. No, he was just terrified of the freaking spiderwebs that threatened to ensnare him for all the other little spiders that had to be lurking in here. 

_ Trapped. TRAPPED. Unable to move.  _

“You-you’re my fri-friend.” HE WAS! Logan wouldn’t hurt him. He’d  _ saved  _ him. 

**_Keep you safe. Tell all spihers go way!_ **

“No--nothing will change that. And I-i won’t..I won’t hurt you ever again! Promise.” Patton gulped, his legs shaking so much that he was barely staying upright as he moved deeper inside the nightmare shed, squeezing his way along the narrow web covered passageway.

_ Cover. Take Cover. Hide. HIDE before she FINDS YOU and TRAPS YOU and YOU DIE! _

He shuddered as he tore through the thicker threads, his eyes darting every which way for Logan and tiny creepy crawly death dealers as the webs steadily covered his body.

_ Wrapping you up. Look. Fast food delivered right to your doorstep.  _

_ OH Crofters!  _ Why did he even think of that? 

Patton froze as something shifted in front of him, drawing away. “Logan?” He whispered, angling his phone light so he could finally get a good glimpse of his fri--

A giant black and gold spider as large as his face hung an inch from his nose. 

Patton shrieked, stumbling backwards away from the orb weaver, dropping his phone and losing his grip on the pendant as he tripped over a pole. He screamed again, grabbing at web covered tools and wood in a useless effort to save himself as he fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thud. 

His phone landed face down, its light shining upwards revealing a writhing mass of shadows overhead. A mass that appeared to be getting larger, closer. Patton froze, heart climbing in his throat as a shower of disturbed spiders left their webs, falling straight at him.

_ Spi-spi--spi-SPIDERS!!!! _

**_“I pwotect you.”_ **

_ “...How?” Patton shook his head, curiously holding up the thread wrapped ring. “How will this protect me?” It was so tiny.  _

_ “Cus it glows. Tells all spihers. Go way! They no like and--” He frowned up at the ring as it flashed light blue. “Not s’posed to glow no--” He paled, pitch black eyes going wide. “RUN!” He yelled, frantically shoving Patton outside and slamming the door in his face. “RUN FAS--Hi Momma.” _

_ Patton froze, staring wide eyed at the wood. She’d come back.  _

_ “WHERE IS THE CHILD, LOGAN?” _

_ Patton backed away from the door, breath hitching at the cold fury in her voice. OH no. Oh no! Blood. Death. He whirled and broke into a run. Crying out as a high pitched scream echoed in his ears. _

_ Logan. _

_ “RUN! HOOMAN RUN! “RUAAAAAAAHH---” The scream cut off abruptly, followed by a sickening thud against the door. _

_ Patton sobbed, running as fast as he could, holding the ring tightly in his fist. _

_ Dead. The boy had to be dead now. He’d died to save--save-- _

“LO!” Patton shrieked as a dozen of the demonic creatures landed on him. He shoved backwards, frantically swiping at his chest, accidentally kicking his phone away in his desperate attempt to get away. “SAVE ME!” He yelled, the shed falling back into near darkness as his phone slid underneath a shelf. 

_ Spiders. On me. Attacking me. Going to eat me. Don’t EAT ME--I DONNWANNADIE!!  _ **_“Pwomise. You safe.”_ **

Patton screamed again, yanking frantically at his arm as something warm suddenly grabbed him by the wrist, easily pulling him deeper into the darkness of the shed despite how he fought, sending more spider covered items tumbling down on top of him. 

_ Laughter echoed in his ears. “No one ever lives when I decide they die! And once I find you child. You. Are. DEAD! You hear me?  _

**_“Tells all other Spiher’s GO WAY!”_ **

Patton screamed even louder, thrashing against the shadow’s iron grip on his wrist. 

_ She found me she found me she found me! I’m dead dead dead dead dead dead dead DEAD!! _ The spiders were on him. Attacking him. The woman was going to  _ KILL HIM!  _

Oh, Crofters! He was GOING TO DI--

The iron grip released him as quickly as it had grabbed him, leaving Patton violently trembling on the floor as a shadow crouched nearby. 

_ “I know you’re here, child.” She said, heading closer to his hiding spot in the bushes, six eyes focused on the tunnels of the Big Toy nearby. “Come, come to me.” _

“It’s just me.” A familiar voice whispered hoarsely. 

Patton froze, struggling to breathe, the webs shimmering a brighter blue around them as tiny black shadows skittered along their threads and away.

Just….just….him? 

Just...Logan?

**_“Keep you safe.”_ **

“I-I won’t hurt you, Pat. Trus--” Logan abruptly cut off, the large shadowy form shrinking away. Leaving him. 

**_“Pwomise.”_ **

**** _ They’re more scared of you than you are of them. _

_ “LO! SAVE ME!”  _

Logan was here. He’d saved him. He was safe. Safe. Logan was--- 

_ I’m not afraid of you, Lo.  _

Patton surged forward, slamming into the shadowy figure who smelt strongly of lemonade and mint. 

Logan. __

Patton sobbed, burying his head against his friend’s chest, hugging Lo for all he was worth as hesitantly, carefully, warm arms wrapped around him in a protective hold. 

_ Safe.  _


	7. Chapter 7

“LO! SAVE ME!”

The air seemed to freeze in his lungs as Patton screamed.

_ Pat.  _

**_Oh, how I love to hear them scream._ **

Logan shot from his hiding spot before he could consider the consequences of his actions as a series of tumultuous thundering crashes echoed through the small space, sounding like the entire shed had just caved in.

**_They’ll never see death coming...until too late._ **

Logan bared his teeth, venom welling in his fangs as Patton shrieked again. He wove easily through the faintly glowing webs, flicking orb weavers and garden spiders out of his way, instinctively following the violent shaking coming from the threads marking where--

**_Your prey awaits, getting more and more tangled in your webs. Trapped._ **

Where  _ Patton,  _ his  _ friend,  _ had fallen, pulling practically everything from the dust covered shelves on top of him; so coated in webs, that Logan nearly mistook him for--

**_Lunch._ **

Logan shoved the shelving units out of the way as he grabbed Pat by the wrist and pulled, saving him from shoving himself head first into yet another spiderweb where a large orbweaver sat frozen. He tugged again, dragging his roommate out and away from the pile of debris that had tumbled to the ground; and even more importantly, away from the multitude of other spiders already fleeing back into the shadows away from his presence. 

_ Keep you safe.  _

**_Such a quaint sentiment, spiderling. But the world doesn’t work like that._ **

Patton screamed all the louder as Logan pulled, fighting like a wild animal in his grip, his glasses flashing in the faint light as he frantically yanked at his arm, struggling to free himself from his hold. 

_ Monster. _

Logan flinched, letting go as soon as Pat was out of harm's way and crouched nearby, instinct to keep helping warring with the one to flee.

_ I hate hate hate spiders! _

_ I’ll slay the foul demon, never fear. _

**_Trapped. At your Mercy. KILL HIM._ **

_ I’m not SCARED. Not of you. We’re friends! I-I’m NOT scared.  _

“It’s just me.” Logan whispered hoarsely, heart sinking at the terror still on his roommate’s face. 

_ Not scared? Sure he’s not scared. Just like you’re not Spliced. Just like you’re not A Human Widow.  _

**_Increase their fear, my darling, have them scream their pathetic little heads off._ **

_ Foolish.  _ He shouldn’t have moved, he should have stayed in place, ignored Patton’s frantic cries for help. 

_ I hate hate hate hate spiders! _

“I-I won’t hurt you, Pat. Trus--” Logan cut off, closing his eyes, listening to Patton’s haggard breathing as his roommate fell silent, no longer trying to get away from him.

How could he ask Pat to trust him? Especially after what he’d done to Roman and Virgil in the apartment? Patton himself was covered head to toe in spiderwebs and--- Logan hunched his shoulders. He should have let his roommate find his own way out of the shed. He should have never revealed himself, let Pat leave thinking that Logan wasn’t actually there. Enough of the other threads he’d created still glowed from the fleeing spiders to be able to guide him out and away to safety. 

Patton would have been fine.

**_Terrify your prey and you can easily catch them._ **

_ Patton’s scared of spiders. He hates me. He-- _

Metal scraped against the floor as Patton suddenly surged forward right into Logan’s chest, his arms wrapping around him in a desperate hug. “Lo-Lo.” He sobbed, pressing his head against the hourglass mark on Logan’s chest as he squeezed him tight. 

Logan stiffened, hardly daring to breathe at the unexpected contact. 

**_You just died, my spiderli---_ **

_ Hug. _

_ I hate hate hate spiders! _

_ Hug. _

Impossible. Patton hadn’t---but he  _ had  _ said-- 

_ I’m gonna hug you, Lo! _

_ Keep you safe. _

_ I’m not scared! Not of you. _

**_It’s kill or be killed my spiderling._ **

_ I’m NOT scared! _

Could it really be true? Logan shakily exhaled, hesitantly and very carefully returning the gesture, wary for any signs of Pat freaking out as he rested his chin against his hair.

Patton only sobbed harder, squeezing him tighter as he trembled in Logan’s arms. 

_ Pat. _

“It’s okay.” Logan whispered, carefully knocking a couple of garden spiders off of Pat’s back, gently pulling some of the looser strands of webbing off of him in the process. “I got you.” 

Patton trembled, breath hitching as the webs came away, his head pressed against the hourglass mark like it had been glued there. “Lo-Lo---no-NOT sc-scared. Not. Scared. No-Not Sc-Scared! We-we’re--we’re---”

Logan couldn’t ignore how his heart swelled, pounding with a fervent hope he hardly dared to believe, with how much Patton was struggling to complete his sentences. “Friends?” He asked, barely able to get the word to leave his lips.

**_They don’t understand, dearest. They never will._ **

Patton nodded, squeezing Logan harder. “Y-Yes! And you--you’ll-you--s-s-save me.” He whispered.

_ So vulnerable.  _

**_Snap his Neck._ **

_ I’m not scared of you.  _

_ Save me! _

_ LO! SAVE ME! _

He couldn’t refuse Patton, not without his heart tearing in two. “Of course.” Logan found himself saying as shifted his grip, easily lifting Pat into his arms as he stood.

Patton whimpered, jerking his bare feet away from one of the more intact webs as they brushed them, pressing his face more firmly into Logan’s chest. 

_ I hate hate hate spiders! _

Yet Pat had come into the shed to find him. Patton  _ trusted  _ him to get them out of here.

Logan’s heart climbed into his throat as he turned for the exit, all too conscious of how this could all go wrong.

_ Please don’t be a trap. _

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

Pat held tightly to him, twitching and uttering soft cries with each twist and turn that resulted in them brushing against more spiderwebs as he navigated their way through the half tumbled shelves. 

“Lo?” He whispered after one particular trickey stretch where Logan had to move around a stubborn black and gold orbweaver that refused to move out from the middle of it’s web. 

**_Foolish. Death comes to those who don’t flee._ **

Logan grimaced, managing to get around the creature without breaking the web. “Hold on. You’re sa--” How could he be safe when there was a Human Widow was holding him?! “Safe.” Logan said, keeping his voice soft as he held Pat close, moving carefully through the broken webs and scattered tools, getting them further away from the other spiders. Though most of them had already mostly fled back into the shadows with his approach. They, at least, knew to fear a Widow.

Why did Patton trust him then? He’d seen his roommates’ reactions. They knew what he was. What he could do to them. Yet Pat had not only come after him, but had braved all the spiders and their webs to reach him.

“I--wanted---I’m sorry.” Patton whispered, shifting so he could look up at Logan, his wide eyes shimmering in the faint light. “I-I didn’t know...I just wanted to he-help us be safe.” 

_ Keep you safe. _

Logan stumbled a step, stopping just before the exit. “Help us?” He repeated, blankly. 

**_A TRAP._ **

He swallowed, glancing out into the rain fogged night. No. Patton had to mean he wanted to help the others. Roman and Virgil. Help  _ them _ be safe.  _ Not  _ him. The  _ us  _ didn’t apply to him unless... Logan ran his tongue over his fangs.

_ Had Patton actually come alone? The police could be just outside. Waiting to take him in. To get him off the streets. So everyone could be safe. _

**_Pretty lies. Tell them pretty lies to gain their trust._ **

Patton drew in a shaky breath, nodding, his tight grip around Logan’s neck growing more lax. “Yes us. I thou-thought you were  _ scared  _ of spi-spiders too, Lo.” 

Wait _. Scared?  _ Logan jerked his head down to Pat, not sure he’d heard correctly.  _ What?  _ Why would he be scared of---

Patton bit his lip, eyes welling with tears. “I didn’t think you’d be scared of us...of  _ me _ ! I--I was just trying to protect--keep everyone safe from spi--spi--” His body trembled in Logan’s arms. “Spi-spiders, only I  _ hurt  _ you instead of  _ helping  _ and I could never  _ hurt you  _ and I--” He flinched as a web brushed his shoulder and ducked his head once more against the hourglass on Logan’s chest. “I’m sorry.”

Patton had wanted to keep him...safe? That--that was---Of course. Logan blinked, slightly shaking his head. Of course! He should have realized, his friend would have noticed how distant he’d been. Would have come to his own conclusions with the facts that he had. Would have wanted to help because that was what Patton did. He helped others. 

“Pat--” Logan cleared his throat, carefully putting his roommate down in a clear spot, hesitantly keeping a steadying hand on his shaking arm, to catch him in case he collapsed. “You don’t have to apologi--”

Pat jerked his head up, the lens of his glasses flashing in the faint light as he grabbed Logan’s arm. “Yes. I do!” 

“You don’t!” Logan hunched his shoulders, pulling his hand away as he stared at Patton’s bare feet. “I purposely said nothing. I know what people think of Spliced, of-of  _ Widows _ .” The word tasted bitter in his mouth. “You couldn’t have known you’d hurt me. It’s not your fault.” 

**_Safety in the shadows, my spiderling. Don’t reveal yourself until you strike._ **

Patton shook his head. “But if I had just  _ talked  _ to you first! Before trying--” 

Logan drew in a shaky breath. “It wouldn’t have mattered. If I had--had known your fear sooner I would never have moved in, never given you a reason--I should have left immediately after--” 

“ _ Leave! _ ” Patton grabbed Logan’s hands, holding them in a near painful grip as he stared wide eyed at him. “Why would you need to leave?” __

_ Because I’m Spliced. A Human Widow. A danger to everyone. Because you hate-- _

_ I’m NOT scared of you, Lo. _

Logan opened his mouth, but the words wouldn’t come. His breath hitched, his fingers trembling in Patton’s as he struggled to explain. Explain how it was safer for them all if he left. That they should forget about him. That Patton should continue to keep the apartment spider-proofed so he would be safe. 

But how could Logan say that when he didn’t  _ want  _ to leave them, not if there was a snowball’s chance that they would accept him. Patton had come  _ after  _ him and he  _ hated  _ spiders! 

_ Pat had come to find him.  _

“Logan.” Patton’s tone was soft, comforting as he tilted his head so he could look into his eyes. “I’m not afraid of you.”

Logan flinched. 

_ I hate hate hate hate hate hate spiders!  _

“You should be though!” He whispered, harshly. “You hate spiders. I’m--I’m the worst kind of Spliced---and you--” 

“Pat? Logan?” 

Logan froze, mouth snapping shut as Patton turned to the sound of Virgil's voice somewhere to their right.

How had--

_ Their phones.  _

_ A trap. _

**_It’s kill or be killed, my spiderling._ **

Logan reacted instinctively, darting deeper into the shed, only to be stopped four steps in by Patton catching his hand, forcing him to stop. 

“Pat are you in there?” Roman called from the other side. 

_ Surrounded. _

_ I’ll slay the foul beast. _

Logan jerked, his heart jumping into his throat as Patton refused to let go. “ _ Pat.”  _ His voice cracked. 

**Snap his wrist and you can escape!**

_ Monster.  _

Patton shook his head. “You’re done running, Lo.” He said softly, eyes pleading. “You’re safe with us. Trust me.”

_ Safe?  _

But the others---

“I’m--” Patton coughed, clearing his throat. “I’m in here! With Logan. We’re fine.” He squeezed Logan’s hand, offering him a shaky smile. “We’re fine.” 

**_It’s kill or be killed. They’re going to kil--_ **

_ Trust me. _

**_IT’S A TRAP!_ **

A loud sigh of relief echoed in the shed as the broken threads around the two of them lit up in warning. “You owe me twenty bucks, Sir Doubtful. I told you Specs wouldn’t ditch his phone.” 

_ I’ll slay the foul demon! _

Logan dropped to his knees, crouching behind Patton, his breath loud and haggard in his ears. “Pat  _ please.”  _ He couldn’t face the others! They would  _ hate  _ him, Roman would  _ stab  _ him with a sword! He couldn’t let them find him.

Patton followed him down, pulling him into a protective hug. “They won’t hurt you, and I know you won’t hurt them.” He said with quiet confidence. 

But he had _ webbed  _ them! They _ had _ to hate him for that!

Virgil snorted, his footsteps padding around the shed. “No I don’t, you owe  _ me  _ twenty for not believing he would come to the school, so it evens out.” 

“How was I supposed to know our Nerd would come here in a state of panic!”

“Because he was in a state of panic. Duh.” Virgil retorted. “Logan practically lives here. School is like his comfort zone.” 

Logan grimaced, pressing his face against Patton’s damp shirt, struggling to draw a full breath. 

_ Was he that predictable?  _

**_Never do the same thing twice, my spiderling. Death comes to those who are predictable._ **

“Guys?” 

“We’re here!” Patton called back. “Among the sp-spider webs.” He added with the faintest of tremors to his voice. 

_ I’m not afraid of you. _

Logan flinched as the remaining threads around them vibrated, shining a bright blue, signaling that something was approaching. 

Something big.

_ Something Dangerous. _

He shifted against Patton’s arms. “Let go.” Logan hoarsely whispered, tensing as the beams from the others phone lights flashed around the shed. He couldn’t--he was a Human Widow! They’d kill him. He had to leave before they thought he’d hurt Pat--

Patton pressed his lips to Logan’s forehead. “No.” He whispered, squeezing him. “Trust me, Lo. It’s okay. I promise. You don’t have to run away, not any more.” 

**_Break his arms, my spiderling. You’ll be free quick enough._ **

_ Trust me. _

Logan shrank down, a soft whimper escaping him as he clung to Pat, flinching as more tools clattered to the ground.

He wanted to believe him. But how could it be possible? 

“You sure you’re in here, Pat?” Roman asked, doubtfully. “I mean...there’s so many web--oomph. HEY!” 

“Shut up, Princey.” Virgil hissed as Patton shuddered. 

“I’m try-trying not to thi-think about it, Ro.” He said, rubbing Logan’s back with one hand.

_ He hates spiders.  _

Yet Patton was the one protecting him.

“Sorry, but I---” Roman cut off.

Logan couldn’t breathe. Venom welled in his fangs, his wrists itching to fling more webs to defend himself. This was it. This was IT. 

**_You just died, my spiderling._ **

“Pat!” 

_ Trust me. _

_ It will be fine. It will be fine. ItwillbefinebefinebefineBEFINE.  _

A low whistle sounded above them. “You two look---”

“Positively horrible.” 

“Not the words I would have chosen, Doctor Gloom, but yah...horrible fits quite well.”

Patton relaxed his grip, giving a shaky laugh as he shifted, twisting to the others voices. “I...you could...it’s been a night, right Lo?” 

Logan swallowed, breath hitching as he struggled to look up from Patton’s web covered shirt to say something, anything to his roommates. 

_ You webbed them. _

_ Trapped them. _

_ They hate you.  _

**_It’s kill or be killed, my spiderling._ **

_ I’ll slay the foul creature.  _

_ Trust me. _

Virgil muttered a curse as wood creaked, edging closer to them. “Did you guys rig the place to fall apart on us, cus it definitely feels like it.”

Not purposely no. 

**_They can’t escape if the exit is no longer there._ **

Logan flinched as a cool hand brushed his arm. He steeled himself, glancing up to see Virgil’s face. 

“L?” He asked, crouching awkwardly next to Pat as he shifted to give him more room in the narrow space between shelves, leaving Logan all the more vulnerable.

He ducked his head, conscious of the venom welling in his fangs as he moved his arms to cover the hourglass on his chest. 

Patton tightened his hold on him. “I got you.” 

_ Trapped.  _

**_It’s kill or be ki--_ ** _ Trust me. _

_ Trust. Me.  _

Virgil’s grey eyes softened, reflecting the bright blue glow of the spider webs. “Hey, L.” He held out his hand, Logan’s glasses catching in the light. “You dropped these.” 

**_A Trap!_ ** _   
_

_ Trust me. _

There was no reason Virgil needed to bring his glasses to him and yet he had. Could he really be okay---okay with what he was? 

Logan licked his lips. “Thanks.” He whispered, warily reaching out a hand for them, only to flinch back as Roman came into view, fighting back the instinct to again web them both to the nearest set of shelves.

“Whoa! Hey. It’s okay, Specs.” Roman slowly raised his hands, showing that they were empty as he carefully crouched down behind Virgil, out of easy striking range. “I swear, despite how it looked, I wasn’t going for the swords back there.” 

_ You’re safe. _

Logan blinked. “You…weren’t?” He asked, in a low tone, glancing to Patton for reassurance. He’d said to trust him. But it wasn’t easy to believe that all three of them were actually okay with him being one of the Spliced, with being a Human Widow. 

Patton gave him a comforting squeeze. “No.” 

Virgil snorted, spinning the glasses in his fingers. “Told you, Princey.”

“I WASN’T! I--I” Roman exhaled, fidgeting in place. “I wouldn’t hurt you, Specs.” He said, meeting Logan’s eyes with a challenging stare. “On my honor. I wouldn’t.” 

_ Trust me.  _

“But I attacked you.” Logan whispered, conscious of the webs he’d created all around them. How could they be willing to look past that! Past the hourglass. Past what he was!

**_A trap, my spiderling. Don’t fall for it._ **

Patton made a noise of disagreement as Roman and Virgil scoffed.

“You did surprise us, Einstein. More than usual with that...uhh--” Roman shifted awkwardly. “That ability of yours, but we got free eventually, no harm no foul.”

“Please, like a little webbing is going to scare me, the Master of Halloween, away.” Virgil added, folding the glasses and slipping them into Logan’s hand, his fingers lingering there as his eyes flicked to the hourglass, before he smirked, pulling Logan to his feet.

He yelped, staggering from the sudden change of position and tensed as Virgil wrapped an arm around him to steady him. 

_ Trust me.  _

“You have to try harder, L, if you really want that. Because we-” Virgil gestured around the shed. “Aren’t going anywhere.”

Logan froze. Scarcely daring to believe what he was hearing. They were...they were wanting him to--they were wil-willing to stay--

“Besides to our hotel room.” Roman corrected, helping Patton to his feet.

Virgil rolled his eyes. “I meant in general, Princey.”

“And I was clarifying, Surly Temple! You know how literal Specs gets!”

“Wait, what hotel room?” Patton asked, grabbing onto Logan’s free hand as he shied away from the webs, pressing close to his side. 

_ Keep you safe. _

“Roman’s idea.” Virgil said with a shrug, keeping his arm around Logan’s shoulders. 

“There’s enough room for all of us there, I made sure of it.” Roman said taking Patton’s other hand as he jerked his head to the exit. “Shall we?” 

_ All of them?  _

**_A trap._ **

The others wanted him to…stay? Logan glanced to Virgil, not quite ready to believe it.

**_It’s kill or be killed, spiderling._ **

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! The others were supposed to be afraid. Were supposed to want him gone! It wasn’t---yet Virgil had brought him his glasses, Roman hadn’t brought his sword. They’d--they’d found a way to not be in the apartment for a while longer.

“Why?” He whispered.

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Why what? Get the hotel room? It’s obvious isn’t it? Our place isn’t exactly--” 

Patton flinched. “Welcoming.” He breathed, ducking his head, twining his fingers into Logan’s. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. 

Logan squeezed his fingers in response. Patton hadn’t known. 

_ I just wanted to help us be safe.  _

But at the same time. “You’re sure...you want to stay with me?” He asked, very conscious of the hourglass on his chest, of his fangs that his roommates had only briefly glimpsed in the apartment, of the glowing webs all around them.

Virgil and Roman paused, exchanging looks before Ro stepped closer, carefully laying a hand on Logan’s shoulder, offering him a confident smile. “Like Virgil said, Specs. We’re not going anywhere.” 


	8. Chapter 8

_ Breathe. _

Don’t scream. Don’t run. It’s okay. _ It’s okay. _

_ Breathe.  _

Patton shakily inhaled, squeezing his eyes shut to block out how bright blue the remaining spider webs around them were glowing. 

**_It Glows! Tell all Spihers Go WAY!_ **

Glowing just like the pendant clutched so tightly in his fist that Patton wouldn’t be surprised if he bent it out of shape as gentle fingers fluttered over his clothes, pulling and tugging. 

_ Wrapping you up. Look. Fast food delivered right to your doorstep. _

No! Patton fought to keep silent, to not scare Logan as he worked to free him from the sticky webs covering his entire body.

Webs that would draw attention if he were to leave the shed still covered in them even if they weren’t glowing like the rest of the space inside the shed was.

It would still be attention Logan didn’t need be--because he--he was---

_ Blood stained lips spread in a smile. “You can’t hide from me forever child. I am the shadows! You can’t escape a Human Widow!”  _

_ “All mine?” Little Logan queried, tilting his head. “Eat all mine?”  _

_ The woman softly laughed, nodding. “I picked him out specially for you, my spiderling.”  _

_ The boy licked his lips, fangs glimmering as he leaned into the woman’s side. “All mine?” He repeated, small fingers touching Patton’s shoulder. _

NO! He shuddered, unable to stop a whimper from escaping his lips. 

The tugging on his clothes, paused. “Pat?”

_ Breathe. _

_ Don’t. Scare. Logan! _

_ He. Needs. You. To. Not. Be. Scared! _

Patton forced his eyes open a crack, meeting Lo’s concerned eyes, now back to their amber color since he’d put the glasses back on, and offered a smile far more shaky than he would have liked. “I’m--” 

_ Not. Scared. Not. Scared. _

He jumped, squeaking as clattering sounded from the back of the shed resulted in a bright flare of blue among the remaining webs, followed by muffled curses from Virgil as he and Ro tried to track down his phone lost somewhere within the dark spider filled depths. 

_ Oh Crofters! How many spiders had they just disturbed? _ What if Aragog suddenly charged from the darkness with his spider children all in tow to chase them and web them and  _ eat them  _ and!!!!!

**_Keep you safe. Pwomise._ **

Logan glanced behind him as he edged closer to Patton, placing a protective but trembling hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Pat.” He said, returning his attention to pulling more of the sticky white threads off of him.

_ BUT THE WEBS AROUND THEM WERE GLOWING!! _

**_Pwotect you._ **

Patton jerked his head in a nod. “Mmm.” He managed, squeezing his eyes shut again, trying to remain still under his touch. 

He’d told Logan to trust him. He needed to trust Lo too. Trust that it was okay. They were safe. He was okay. Safe. Safe. Safe.

_ Breathe. _

_ Come on. Be Brave. You  _ CAN’T  _ be scared of Spiders. Not any more. You have to show Logan you’re not scared! Be brave!  _

But how could he be brave when the creepy crawly death dealers were  _ everywhere!  _ A whole tidal wave of them had fallen from the ceiling! They’d fallen onto him! It was--

“You’ll be out of here soon.” Logan reassured as the tugging on his clothes and feather-light touches trailing over his skin freed him from the tangled threads coating him like a gossamer sweater. 

_ Not soon enough.  _

“I have you almost free and---and the spiders---” Logan cut off as Patton flinched again.

He didn’t want to see spiders. Didn’t want to think of the creatures---but how could he not! He  _ had  _ to be okay with it. Logan was a Human Widow. He was  _ part  _ Spider. He probably had Spi---spider--friends in his room and--- 

“Spiders don’t like Widows.” Logan whispered. 

Patton’s eyes shot open as his heart skipped a beat.  _ What?  _ He looked up, eyes wide. “They--they don’t?” 

Lo nodded, struggling to keep eye contact as he tossed a large wad of webbing over his shoulder before crossing his arms, partially covering the widow mark on his chest. “You’re safe. They won’t come near while I’m with you.” 

“Wait.” Virgil said, the tattered webs around him glowing brighter as he emerged from the narrow passageway, a bundle of cloth in his arms. “Spiders don’t go near you?”

“How can that be true though!” Roman demanded following right behind. “I mean--” He gestured widely, his hands tearing through a few more of the glowing webs. “This place is like Spider Army Central and you their Spider King.” 

Lo tensed, eyes flicking to the rafters and then to the exit. “They know when danger is in their midst. Even spiders have a--” He grimaced, shoulders hunching. “Sense of self preservation. They won’t come near me. Not willingly.”

But there was an apocalypse worth of the creepy crawlies in this place! Patton had seen them. A writhing black mass of doom descending from above. And it had taken most of--no-- _ all  _ of his will power to stay in here with Lo after he’d saved him and not run screaming into the night. 

He had to prove he wasn’t scared. Had to show Logan that he wouldn’t run. That his fear wasn’t going to keep him from being there even though he knew that those dark creatures infesting the shed were hiding nearby, just waiting for the perfect moment to strik--

Patton squeezed his pendant, letting out a slow breath.

_ Spiders don’t like Widows.  _

**_Pwotect you._ **

Everything was fine. He was fine. Logan wouldn’t let the little demons hurt him. 

**_Keep you safe._ **

Logan would protect him, Patton knew that. 

It was just really super hard to believe it when he could feel a billion hungry eyes gazing down on him from above and--he grabbed onto Lo’s arm. “Can---can we---leave now?” He managed to squeak out. They had to be okay to leave. Lo had stopped pulling webs off of him, they had to be---

_ Breathe.  _

Roman shoved his hands into his pockets, pulling out two phones. “Didn’t expect to find both of them, but yah. I got your phones.” He said at the same time that Virgil held out the bundle to Logan. 

“And your jacket, L.” He said. 

Logan hesitated, half turning away from the exit to face the back of the shed where he’d been hidden. “Were…there alot of people out there?” He asked finally. 

“No!” Patton quickly denied. He couldn’t seriously be considering staying in this awful place! Could he? 

Roman and Virgil shared a look. “I mean---” Virgil shrugged. “There’s not as many people as there could be, but it’s a college campus, L. There’s always someone about.”

Oh. Patton licked his lips. But he hadn’t seen anyone one---well he hadn’t really been looking, focused instead on Lo, but surely in this rainy weather--

“No one followed you?” Logan asked, reaching out to grab the jacket. 

Roman gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “Us?! Draw attention? We’re theater majors for a reason, Microsoft Nerd! Discreet is--”

“Not your middle name, Princey, nor mine.” Virgil rolled his eyes, tugging at the strings on his hoodie. “But no. It’s just us over here. No one needs to do gardening this late even if it wasn’t raining.” 

Logan exhaled, nodding. “Right.” He slipped on the jacket, zipping it up so the Hourglass was hidden. “ _ Right. _ ” 

**_Keep you safe._ **

Patton twined his fingers in with Logan’s offering him a tight smile. “We’ll blend right in, Lo.” Now that the we-webs were off him…no one should have reason to notice them. After all Logan looked completely normal again.

_ Two pitch black eyes. _

_ Gleaming Fangs. _

Patton swallowed hard, hoping that Lo couldn’t hear his skyrocketing heart rate. 

_ “I. No. Eat. You.” Little Logan said forcefully, keeping eye contact, dipping his hands under Patton’s head. “SEE?”  _

_ A gentle tug and he stepped back, a wad of webbing held in his hands. “See. Safe. Hod still.” He advanced again, little fingers easily tearing away the remaining webs, from Patton, freeing him in seconds. “No eat. No die. All safe. K?”  _

_ Patton gaped at him, shakily getting to his feet as the spider child threw the webs into a corner. “Why...why not?”  _

_ Logan wrinkled his nose. “I no mamma. Bad tase you. ALL bad. BLEH.”  _

**_Pwotect You. Promise._ **

Lo wouldn’t hurt him. He didn’t like the taste of humans. 

_ At least...he hoped he still didn’t--- _ No! This was Logan. They were safe with him. He was  _ nothing  _ like his Mother. 

“Blend right in--you guys aren’t wearing shoes.” Roman pointed out.

“And we’ve seen weirder things coming home from play practice, Ro. No one will comment on it so long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves.” Virgil said, ducking outside. He pulled his hood over his head, turning in a slow circle until he faced the shed again. “Coast is clear. Let’s get outta here.” 

Patton didn’t need to be told twice. Squeezing Logan’s hand, he pulled them both outside with Roman following close behind, trying to not break into a dead run to get them as far away from the spider infested shed as possible. 

If he never saw the place again it would be far too soon. 

_ You can’t escape me. I am the darkness, child!  _

Patton fought back a shiver as they splashed through the puddles forming on the grass to get to a path, keeping a tight grip on Lo so he wouldn’t---wouldn’t run. 

_ Trust me.  _

Logan edged closer to Patton, clutching his jacket with white fingers as his eyes darted this way and that.

Patton licked his lips. “It’s okay, Lo.” He whispered. “Trust me.”

Logan hunched his shoulders, giving a terse nod. “I--I’m trying.” He said, the faintest of tremors to his voice. “But I’m not…used to this. People knowing…and not attacking. Try---trying to kill me.” 

Virgil dropped back, brushing Patton’s shoulder with his own. “How--” He cut off as a woman suddenly appeared in the path ahead, briskly walking towards the Wellness Center with a yoga mat over her shoulder. 

Logan tensed, practically glued to Patton’s side as he watched her disappear into the distance. 

“How many people have tried that?” Virge finished, keeping his voice low. 

Logan exhaled, briefly closing his eyes. “More than I care to count.” 

_ “I’ll feast on the newcomers. No worries, Logan. Momma will eat too.” She said, two of her hands guiding the boy’s fangs to Patton’s exposed neck as faint voices and stomping sounded overhead. “Hurry now.” She encouraged, withdrawing. “It’s fast food today.” _

Patton shivered. He couldn’t imagine it. Imagine their nerd having to fight for his life. Flee so he wouldn’t die at someone else's hand. Logan had always been well. Logan. He’d passed as completely normal until tonight. 

He probably could have kept hiding it if Patton hadn’t--He bit his lip, squeezing Lo’s hand. No wonder he’d reacted how he had when they’d seen his--his fangs, seen the hourglass.

How many times had Lo nearly been killed as a child because of...because of what he was with no questions asked?

_ He trusts you.  _

Patton would have to make sure it stayed that way. That Logan would have a safe place with them. A place where he could be himself and not have to hideaway. Not have to live in fear. 

“People coming from the right.” Roman said softly at the same moment Logan stiffened, squeezing his hand tighter. 

_ How acute were his senses? _

“Just act normal.” Roman said, moving up, taking position next to Logan while Virgil stuck close to Patton, the two of them striking up a conversation similar to the one they’d been having before Lo had come home as more and more people appeared around them, darting this way and that through the pounding rain. 

**_Keep you safe. Pwomise._ **

Patton leaned into Lo. “It’s okay.” He whispered as reassuringly as he could. The hourglass was hidden, but it didn’t stop his friend from shrinking down with the barest of nods, trying to appear as small as possible without drawing attention to himself as a couple of strangers approached.

He bit the inside of his cheek, hand tight on his pendant, barely daring to breathe, watching as the two students under an umbrella quickly walk by them, focused more on each other than their group. 

Patton let out a small sigh as they moved passed, squeezing Logan’s trembling hand. 

He really hadn’t noticed so many people before in his mad dash across campus to find Lo. He’d expected the place to be deserted because of the storm. 

That obviously wasn’t the case. And with every student that appeared, he could feel their nerd getting more and more tense walking more like a feral cat wary of being captured, ready to flee at the first sign of danger. 

For good reason. 

With how fearful Lo had been about being found by Roman and Virgil in the shed; with how he’d reacted to all of them seeing the hourglass on his chest in the first place; with how he kept looking over his shoulder...Patton nearly expected an instant mob to form and attack them with every student that crossed their path.

So far no one had given them a second look.

They had no reason to. Logan looked as human as the rest of them. 

Only their little group knew better.

_ Spliced. _

_ A Human Widow. _

Dangerous. Unreasonable. Anyone who didn’t know Lo would automatically assume the worst of him without even knowing him and---He shuddered.

_ Blood. Pooling underneath Mr. Wratche’s purpling body, staining everything in its wake.  _

Logan needed to get to safety. Before--before something horrible-- __

“Are we close?” He asked, interrupting Roman and Virgil, working to keep his voice steady.

_ Not. Scared. Show Lo, you’re not scared!  _

“Car’s just ahead.” Virgil said, pointing to the shadowy shape of his minivan parked as far away from the lights in the parking lot as possible. 

Patton couldn’t help but smile at the choice, giving a quiet sigh of relief. Their resident cryptid expert really had thought of everything hadn’t he? While he would have preferred the van under a light, this meant that Lo wouldn’t be as visible and that’s what they wanted right now. To keep him under the radar.

**_Pwotect you. Pwomise._ **

Still, it took all of his will power to not break into a run and drag Logan to the safety of those tinted windows where hopefully  _ hopefully  _ Lo could then relax.

_ Where he could be himself again. _

His roommates must have had similar thoughts because they too increased their pace without prompting, quickly crossing the near empty lot. Virgil pulled out his keys when they got within range, the sidedoor to the van sliding open with the press of a button. 

Logan faltered, pulling Patton to an abrupt stop three feet from safety. “Wait.” He said, his voice barely audible over the rain.

The others paused, Roman with one foot in the front passenger side of the van. “For what, Specs?”

Lo grimaced, the tips of his fangs briefly appearing as his hand spasmed in Patton’s _. _ “I--I---” He shuddered, taking a step back. 

**_Keep you safe._ **

Patton fought back the brief flutter of panic at seeing those fangs.

_ Bloodstained lips. A dark smile.  _

_Logan is NOTHING_ _like his mom. NOTHING._

“Lo?” Patton moved with him, his other hand slowly reaching up to cup Logan’s cheek, staring into his amber eyes. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay. You’re safe with us.” 

“I--It’s...It’s just---that this is all too easy.” Logan managed, eyes darting to the others and back to Patton’s. “You should be scared. Running. Not  _ helping  _ me. _ ”  _

Virgil scoffed leaning against the sliding door as he fiddled with his keys. “Dude, if we didn’t want to help you, I doubt any of us would have been out here in this nightmare weather.” 

Roman hummed his agreement, brushing at his wet hair. “Truth. I’d be in bed, getting my beauty sleep.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “How could you sleep Princey after getting webbed to a couch? Twenty bucks you’d have been on the phone to the police as soon as you freed yourself.” 

Roman hunched his shoulders, crossing his arms. “I---I--” He grimaced. “Yes---under  _ other _ circumstances--BUT I DIDN’T!” He shot Logan a pleading look, spreading his hands. “I mean, Patton  _ ran after you.  _ That’s good enough in my book to trust you, Lomageddon.” 

Truthfully, if it had been anyone but Lo, Patton knew he would have never left the apartment agai--no, he would have been out the door and on the first available flight to somewhere far far far away from here to get away from a Human Widow.

But this was _ Logan.  _ Not his Evil Mother. Not any other creepy Widow that they’d read about in history. 

And he  _ needed _ them right now. 

“We’re not a threat, Lo.” Patton said as gently as he could, stroking his cheek with his thumb. “And we know-I  _ know _ -” He squeezed the pendant in his other hand. 

**_Keep you safe. Pwomise._ **

“You aren’t a threat to us.” 

A mixture of conflicting emotions crossed Logan’s face in the faint light as he gripped the jacket tighter. “ _ How _ though?” He demanded in a hoarse whisper.  _ “ _ You  _ know  _ what I am. You  _ know  _ what a Widow does!” He bared his teeth, fangs bright and glistening. “Just because I-I” He shuddered, looking away, his feet shifting as if to break into a run. “I haven’t followed the norm for my kind, doesn’t mean you guys should be willing to be anywhere near me.” 

Patton deliberately tightened his hold. There would be no more running. “That’s exactly why.” He said firmly. “You’re not evil Logan. You never were and never will be.”

Lo drew a shuddering breath. “You don’t know that.” 

“I do.” He lifted his hand, uncurling his fingers from the pendant so that Logan could clearly see it. 

Logan inhaled sharply, recognition flashing through his eyes. “That’s--” He whispered, raising a shaking finger to the pendant, the webbing within the bent nail turning dark blue at his touch.

_ Confirmation.  _

“You’ve saved my life as a kid, Lo.” Patton said softly, pressing the glowing pendant into Logan’s palm, closing his fingers over it. “How could I ever be afraid of my hero?”


	9. Chapter 9

_ S--saved?  _

_ A Hero?  _

Logan struggled to draw in a full breath, trembling as he uncurled his fingers, staring at the glowing pendant in his palm. 

_ Impossible.  _

He hadn’t tried to save anyone since--since---

_ Keep you safe. Pwomise. _

Logan shook his head in denial. No. He was no hero. It wasn’t possible--that boy from the school was DEAD! So how did Pat---He turned the pendant over in his hand, the dark blue shade never faltering. “Where--How did you get this?” He asked, his vision tunneling. 

He knew this ring. Knew each twist of the thread and bend in the nail. He’d had nightmares about it for weeks after---after---

**_You thought you could protect him?_ **

He’d barely known what he was doing back then, having only gained the ability to web days before his Mom had taken him to that building--that school--brought him that boy to feed from--to kill on his own--the boy---he hadn’t wanted--Logan had just followed instinct. To save him. Creating his first glowing web with that nail to protect him. To--to---

_ Keep you safe.  _

**_You thought a child could escape me? It’s kill or be killed, my spiderling._ **

Patton bit his lip, glancing to the others before gesturing to him. “I got it from you, Lo.” He said. “In First Grade.” 

_ Impossible.  _

Logan clenched the pendant in his fist as it flared, hiding the glow from view as he looked up, taking a step closer to Pat as he desperately tried to fit his hazy memories of that bloody scared little boy with Patton standing alive and well before him. 

**_No one lives once I decide they die!_ **

“Sh-she said…she killed you.” He choked out. The nail. The threads. It had been so long ago, he’d been so small. Feeble. Powerless compared to his mother. “Sh--she told me!”

**_He’s dead._ **

Patton shook his head, grabbing him by the shoulders. “No. No, I’m alive, Lo. I made it.” He said softly, eyes shimmering. “Thanks to you.” 

_ Hero.  _

_ My hero. _

“Wait.” Virgil pushed away from the van, eyes wide. “Wait. Wait.  _ Wait!!  _ You're saying that L was also at the Creekside Massacre?!” 

Roman stiffened. “He was at  _ what _ ?!”

Logan flinched, holding tighter to the pendant, the threads within glowing brighter. 

“The Creekside Massacre, Princey. The double classroom--”

"I know what it was, Vee." Roman shook his head, forehead creasing as he gestured to Logan. “But that Widow can’t be Specs! I thought that it was--”

“The Rouge Widow? Exactly! Because it _ was  _ her there! Which makes him being there too even more---” Virgil ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t know you were in our class--no, you had to have been in the other classroom--but I don’t remember your name on the list, L--”

_ Virgil  _ had been there  _ too?!  _ His heart stuttered as Logan’s vision briefly went black.  _ No no no. HOW?!  _ What next? Roman couldn’t have been there, right? He was older than the other two-- _ wasn’t he?- _ he had to be- He. Had. To. Be---not all three. His Mother couldn’t have--have--almost killed---

Virgil was at his side in a flash as his knees buckled, grabbing onto his arm. “Easy, L.” He said, easing him to the pavement. “Breathe dude, you gotta breathe--”

“Bu--But YOU ALL!--- th--the boy!” Logan gasped out, clinging to both Patton and Virgil, refusing to let go. 

Pat knelt with him, face pale. “I lived, Lo. I lived.” He said soothingly, pulling him into a careful hug. “She lied. She never found me.” 

**_He died screaming for his momma, poor thing. He suffered to the very end._ **

“But that’s--” He pulled back, desperately looking between the two. “It’s _Impossible_ that you LIVED!” He grabbed onto Pat’s wrists, clinging to them like a lifeline as he leaned forward, searching his eyes. “She kills everyone, Pat! _Everyone._ ” 

**_Death. The only option. One winner._ **

Patton flinched, going even paler. 

_ Like a ghost.  _

Yes.” He whispered, gently disengaging his wrists so he could pull Logan in close again, running his fingers through his hair. “Everyone  _ else _ .” 

Everyone else  _ AND  _ the boy. Logan buried his head against Patton’s shoulder, struggling to gain control, to breathe. “Y-you were dead! YOU DIED-- She t--tore oh-off your he-hea--hea---”

**_Pop. Like a cork from a bottle. The blood my darling, so sweet, such a waste you couldn’t have it._ **

“Breathe, L. Breathe.” Virgil softly coached. “We’re safe. It’s alright. No one is losing their heads. Breathe. Just like you taught me. Breathe.” 

Logan shuddered, breath hitching as he tried to draw more air into his burning lungs. 

_ But the boy was dead! H-how could he--he not be DEAD?! _

_ Monster. _

There’d been so many nightmares. So many inconsolable nights in his web. Imagining scene after scene of exactly how his mother had...had...killed him.

“Obviously not if---well you’re all alive, Specs.” Roman said hesitantly, crouching next to them.

**_No one lives once I decide they die!_ **

“Well, it makes sense why I’m alive.” Virgil said, rubbing gentle circles in Logan’s back. “I moved like two months before The Rouge Widow came. I moved so much as a kid that I didn’t even remember that I’d gone to Creekside until Pat and I reconnected this past year.” 

_ Keep you safe. _

The tightness in his chest eased as Patton gently rocked him. Virgil hadn’t been there. Roman hadn’t been there. He turned his head to better see them. To confirm they were fine. That they were--

_ Safe. _

He swallowed, managing to draw in his first full breath in ages, carefully pulling out of the hug.

Pat nodded, offering Logan a smile as he rested a hand on his knees. “Yah he wasn’t--wait.” He frowned, adjusting his rain covered glasses with the other. “Virge, since you moved before--how did you know?” 

Virgil raised his eyebrows as he gestured to himself, giving a half smirk. “Cryptid Expert remember? You show me a necklace that glows around spiders, which you are afraid of, and thought I’d given it to you before I moved away? Of course I’m going to try and piece that puzzle together.”

“But…” Patton bit his lip. “You never said anything!” 

Roman snorted, crossing his arms. “Pat...you barely tolerate the mention of the S word around you.”

_ I hate hate hate hate spiders! _

“Exactly. Why would I bring up something like that up to you? With how you spoke and what I found after my research…” Virgil shrugged a shoulder. “I didn’t think you remembered and if you did, that you wouldn't want to be reminded.” 

“Despite the million and a half questions you want to ask, I’m sure.” Roman remarked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Well---” Virgil ducked his head, rain dripping down his reddened cheeks. “Yah.”

Patton ducked his head. “I...I didn’t remember. Not until I saw--” His eyes flicked to Logan’s chest where the hourglass lay hidden underneath his jacket. “Your mark, Lo.”

_ Spi-spi-spi No No nononono! _

_ Monster. _

Logan fought not to flinch.  _ Great.  _ No wonder Patton had reacted how he did. Recalling that school? What his mom did to his classmates and teachers? If Logan had suffered nightmares from not even seeing the crime scenes, he couldn’t imagine what Pat would be remembering. “I’m sorry.” He whispered. This wouldn’t have happened if he’d never revealed the hourglass. If he’d just left when he realized--

Patton looked up, eyes softening. ”I know.” He said, placing a hand on Logan’s chest, right over the hidden hourglass. “But it’s okay. I’m glad to remember...despite--despite the--it all.” He shrugged, giving him a faint smile. “It’s worth it because I now know you’re the one who saved me. That you’re my hero.”

_ Hero. _

Despite everything, despite remembering what had happened when they were kids...Patton wasn’t scared of him.  _ Him _ , a Human Widow. 

_ How can I ever be afraid of my hero?  _

_ Hero.  _

Logan swallowed, feeling warmth rising in his chest. Pat trusted him. Trusted him because of the pendant. A bent ring wrapped in his silk threads that had somehow not only managed to keep his mom from finding him, but kept him safe all these years. 

_ Not everyone dies.  _

Patton had made it. One of his step-dad’s may have made it. There were survivors from his Mother’s reign of terror.

_ Hero. _

Logan covered Patton’s hand with his own as he glanced to the others. 

_ To safety?  _

_ Trust me.  _

To trust them, he’d actually have to go  _ with _ them. In the van. To the supposed hotel.

_ We’re not going anywhere. _

Hadn’t he been in that very van a hundred times before? Hadn’t he wanted to tell  _ all  _ of them three days ago what he was? 

He’d trusted them then, before they knew.

_ Why not now?  _

Especially when they were there to  _ help  _ him. Willing to take him somewhere else besides their thoroughly spider-proofed apartment. 

**_These humans will turn on you first chance they get. Kill them before they kill you._ **

But they hadn’t. They’d braved the storm, the darkness, the knowledge that he was a Human Widow, a potentially unknown threat, to come after him. 

Logan ran his fingers over the pendant before, gently placing it back into Patton’s palm. ”Keep you safe.” He whispered, relaxing as Patton flashed him a brilliant smile.

_ I’ll protect you. I promise.  _

He would have to see about making protective pendants for Roman and Virgil too to keep them safe from his Mother. ...If they let him...if they still wanted him to live with them. 

“But what I still don’t get is how you managed to save Pat in the first place.” Virgil said, shifting on his knees. “How did the Rouge Widow know where you were? How did no one else realize---I mean no one ever mentioned there being a Child Widow going to school at Creekside!” He leaned in, eyes burning with fervent light. “Had she already killed your parents? Was she wiping out another Widow line to defend her territory? Were you that big of a threat to her? The reason why she--” 

Logan held up a hand, feeling the venom welling in his fangs once more as he fought to keep breathing. Roman hadn’t been kidding when he said Virge had a ton of questions. Questions he’d never...never had to answer before. 

_ Trust me.  _

“I…wouldn’t call what she did exactly… defensive.” He said slowly, glancing around the parking lot to make sure they were still alone. 

There'd been very few disputes over territory when news of his Mom’s presence spread. If another Widow lived in the area, they quickly vanished or else risked dying by her hand. 

**_I do this to protect me._ **

“How in the world could he have been a threat, Dr. Gloom?” Roman demanded. “Lomageddon here had to be like what? Six?” 

Logan shook his head, working to keep calm as Patton silently slipped the necklace back over his head, tucking the pendant under his shirt. 

He rarely ever talked about his age. It was easier to blend in, to let others make assumptions if he didn’t. He wouldn’t have been able to get away with as much nor survive so long on his own if he hadn’t. 

**_You’re never safe. Don’t grow close to anyone, my darling. They’ll only stab you in the back._ **

_ Trust me.  _

He brushed the bumps on his wrists, wishing he could fiddle with some of his threads, create a web--but no, Pat wouldn’t like that. “I was closer to three.” He admitted.

Roman grinned triumphantly. “See! How could Lo be a threat---” He blinked. “ _ Wait. _ THREE?!” 

The others all went wide eyed, staring at him like he’d grown another set of arms. 

That wasn’t...quite the reaction he’d expected. “Yes?” 

Patton remembered him, which meant he knew that he hadn’t been at the school for well...learning. He’d been too little back then. Had he really not connected how much younger Logan was compared to the rest of them?

“You were only three?” Virgil repeated blankly. “But why then--” 

“I thought we were the same age and you’re telling me that you’re only--” Roman gestured vaguely in the air. 

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Nineteen?” 

“Nineteen.” Patton breathed, moving his hands to Logan’s, squeezing them. “You’re like...baby.” He whispered.

“Only you can actually read.” Virgil said under his breath, studying Logan more intently. 

“But! If you’re the youngest, Specs---” Logan tensed as Roman jabbed a hand in his direction, “Then it makes even _ less  _ sense how you could be a threat to her!” He pushed to his feet, pacing around them. “I don’t believe it. The Rouge Widow? Scared of a baby?! What were you going to do? Spit up on her?”

Logan wrinkled his nose. He’d been able to do much more than spit up at the age of three. “No--I--” But should he tell them? Patton probably remembered already, but---

“Any predator knows to take out the competition while it’s weak and defenseless.” Virgil whispered, fiddling with the sleeves of his hoodie as he got to his feet. “So he can’t grow up to be a threat. Spliced children especially could be more dangerous than their normal human counterparts. We don’t know. Studies haven’t been done.” 

“Well, we already know Specs was hardly defenseless if he’s still here, Jack Skellington!” How could a toddler survive her rampage when hundreds of adults haven’t--”

“It’s because--” Patton cut off biting his lip, weaving his fingers in Logan's, glancing to him. 

Logan met his eyes, saw the confirmation therein that Pat remembered exactly why he’d been there in that room with The Rouge Widow. 

_ Trust me.  _

The other two turned to him expectantly. “Because?” Roman prodded. 

_ I’m not afraid of you, Lo.  _

But Pat  _ was  _ terrified of his Mom. The others knew of her, but didn’t know his connection to him. Would they still be willing to help him if---if they knew he was her son? 

Patton bit his lip, ducking his head. “It’s because--because--Lo?” He tilted his head, eyes darting to the others and back.

Logan exhaled, giving a curt nod. Might as well rip the band-aid off now before going anywhere with them. Knowing he was a Human Widow was one thing, but knowing he was the son of America’s Number One Most Wanted Spliced? “She  _ was _ there partially because of me.” He said, reluctantly meeting Virgil’s eyes and then Roman’s as he too stood, brushing off his knees with one hand as Patton also got to his feet, squeezing Logan’s hand reassuringly. 

_ I’m NOT scared. Not of You.  _

He shook his head. “But it wasn’t because I was a threat to her.”

Not back then. She hadn’t tried to kill him until he was thirteen, when his Widow mark had shown up. Red and Black, not plain Red like hers.

**_You were just like me. Oh sweetheart. You shouldn’t have shown me you weren’t._ **

Virgil narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms as he frowned. “Then why--” 

Logan exhaled, gripping Patton’s hand as he straightened, taking small comfort from his steady unwavering presence.

_ Trust me.  _

“She was trying to do what all Mothers do, Virge.” He said, purposely baring his teeth, showing them his gleaming fangs. “She was teaching her baby how to hunt.”


	10. Chapter 10

“ _HUNT!”_ Roman half screeched before he slapped his hand over his mouth, the first to react. 

_“I picked him out specially for you, my spiderling.”_

Patton swallowed as he fought to keep his hands relaxed in Logan’s, desperately hoping that he couldn’t hear how his heart rate had sped up.

_Hunting._

_Hunting._

_Hunting._

Despite already knowing about Lo’s connection to the...the Rouge Widow as Virgil had named her…hearing him confirm it...in _that_ particular way was--was---

_YOU WERE PREY. You could have DIED._

**_Keep you safe._ **

_Prey._

_“Hush. Hush. You won’t need your momma for much longer, dear one.”_

He had been _prey, o_ nly surviving because Lo had decided to let him go, had decided to _help_ him instead of killing him like his--his mother wanted him to. 

Virgil barely appeared to be breathing as he stood stock still, staring at Lo. “The Rouge Widow---is your mom?” He asked, voice deliberately quiet. 

_The blood stained woman stalked through swings, searching for him._ _“You can’t hide from me forever child.”_

Logan hunched his shoulders, his fangs vanishing from view as he nodded. “Yes.” 

“But---” Virgil ran both his hands through his hair. “That doesn’t--HOW?!” He shook his head moving to pace in a circle around them, tugging at the strings of his hoodie. “There were no signs at all--there weren’t even _rumors_ that she had a kid! And you’re telling me---She’s been killing people for years, _decades!_ And not once, _NOT ONCE_ did anyone let slip she had a kid in tow. How--”

“She kept me hidden...separate from her--” Logan dropped his voice. “--killing sprees. And if anyone found me--They died. She’s very selective on who she trusts and when it came to me...barely a handful of people know of our connection and still live.” 

Patton swallowed. Did that handful of people now include the three of them? How hard must it have been on Logan? To never have anyone stick around. To only have his mother for company. No friends---how---Patton bit his lip. ”That sounds so lonely, Lo.” No wonder he’d been so withdrawn when they’d first met. If everyone who came in contact with him _died..._ why would he try to get to know anyone? 

Logan shrugged, looking away. “I didn’t know better.” 

“Geez and I thought my childhood was bad.” Roman said, running a hand through his rain soaked hair. “But to grow up with---with--” 

“The worst murderous Human Black Widow on record to ever walk the planet?” Virgil supplied, fiddling with his sleeves as he too studied their friend.

“That’s one way to refer to her.” Logan mumbled, fidgeting under their combined stares. 

Roman clicked his tongue. “Yah, that---” He spread his arms wide. “That sucks, big time, Spock. How in the world are you not more messed up having her as a _Mom_?” 

“More...messed up?” Lo repeated, raising his eyebrows, rubbing his hand against his chest. “She’s probably killed more people than half the state of Wyoming and you wonder why I’m not more messed up?” 

“Well now I’m wondering how you’ve passed as more normal.” Virgil muttered as Roman blanched.

“Right? I mean…She was teaching you to--to hunt humans, Lomageddon! That’s not a normal Mommy thing to do-- Wait!” Ro pointed between the two of them. "Pat's still alive! Did you ever pass that particular gruesome lesson with someone else or--”

_I’ll feast on the newcomers. No worries, Logan. Momma will eat too.” She said, two of her hands guiding the boy’s fangs to Patton’s exposed neck as faint voices and stomping sounded overhead. “Hurry now.” She encouraged, withdrawing. “It’s fast food today.”_

**_Pwotect you._ **

_A gentle tug and Logan stepped back, a wad of webbing held in his hands. “See. Safe. Hod still.” His little fingers easily tore away the remaining webs from Patton, freeing him in seconds. “No eat. No die. All safe. K?”_

Patton drew in a steadying breath and took a deliberate step closer, squeezing Lo’s hands as he did so. 

_Trust Me._

_I’m NOT scared. Not of you._

“What does it matter?" Patton asked, half turning to the others. “He saved my life. Lo isn’t going to hurt us.” 

With how skittish Logan had been about telling them what he was, he hardly was acting like the suave charismatic Widow they’d been taught to look out for.

“But that doesn’t answer the question.” Virgil said gesturing to Logan as he continued circling them. “Sure a _three_ year old may not kill the first time he’s given the chance, but you _grew up_ with her, L. You _were there._ Indoctrinated in her ways! How many---how---are you---” He made a face. 

Logan slowly raised his eyes to meet Virge’s. “A Killer? Or was Murderer the word you were looking for?” 

A chill went down Patton’s spine as Roman took two steps back, eyes wide. 

Logan? A killer? No. NO WAY. NO. 

Virgil stopped, setting his jaw as he looked Logan squarely in the eyes. “Yes. How far did your apple fall from her tree?” 

_Little Logan frowned up at the ring as it flashed light blue. “Not s’posed to glow no--” He paled, pitch black eyes going wide. “RUN!” He yelled, frantically shoving Patton outside and slamming the door in his face. “RUN! HOOMAN RUN! “RUAAAAAAAHH---” The scream cut off abruptly, followed by a sickening thud against the door._

**_Keep you safe._ **

No. Patton pressed his lips together, slightly shaking his head. Logan was good. He was _nothing_ like his mom. He had to believe that otherwise wouldn’t the three of them be dead by now? They’d been living together for the past six months and Widows--

_Widows kill within four._

The pendant didn’t glow around Lo unless he was holding it. He wasn’t a threat. 

_Right?_

Logan exhaled, his eyes growing dark behind his glasses as he pulled his hand free, crossing it over his chest. “You might as well be talking apples and oranges. She tried to make me just like her. But we’re…” He rubbed his chest, looking away. “Different.” 

Patton tilted his head, watching Logan’s hand over where the Widow mark hid. 

Sh _e pressed him close to the upside down red triangle on her chest. There, there.” She soothed._

_Red. Logan’s Mom’s mark had been plain red. But Logan’s was--_

_Black and Red._

Patton narrowed his eyes, before quickly smoothing his expression before Lo could notice. That coloration wasn’t normal either. Widows only had red hourglasses like their spider counterparts. Was that the ‘difference’ Logan spoke of? Why was his mark--

“Tried?” Roman repeated.

Lo nodded, looking up. “I’m not a killer, Virgil.” He shifted his gaze to meet Roman’s worried eyes. “Roman.” He half turned to Patton. “Patton. Believe me, I’ve never taken a life--killed” He exhaled, shoulders slumping as stared at his feet. “But I did drink plenty of human blood and tissue. Just not---not recently...years really--since I uh--” He gave a half shrug. “Left.” 

“Left?” Patton whispered. But Logan was so _young!_ He was Baby compared to the rest of them and he had said he hadn’t drunk---drunk... blood in _years._ Which if he only had it while he’d been with his Mom... _when_ had he left her? Did it have something to do with their marks? Or just his refusal to--to _kill_? 

“So you’re not secretly sneaking out to get a fix?” Roman asked. “Stealing from blood banks? Preying on students studying late at night at the Library?

Logan’s mouth twitched, his fingers going white on his jacket. “No.” 

Virgil threw his hands up in the air, pacing again. “You don’t--You’re---L. I thought--we’ve all been taught that widows _have_ to eat human flesh or blood to live and you’re telling me--”

**_“I no mamma. Bad tase you. ALL bad. BLEH.”_ **

Logan was no monster. He wasn’t Mom. “He doesn’t because...well because humans don’t taste good to you...right, Lo?” Patton asked, glancing to him uncertainly.

_A lot of things could have changed since first grade._

Logan wrinkled his nose, making the exact same face he had made as a child. “Crofters, No! It’s horrible. Like being forced to drink bitter moldy yogurt mixed with motor oil.” 

“OH EW!” Roman shuddered, waving his hands in front of his face as if to ward off a Dragon Witch. “Ew. Ew. EW! SPECS! I _like_ yogurt. Don’t go putting _that_ image in my head!” 

“I think you’re too late to save your tender taste buds, Princey.” Virgil remarked, scuffing the wet pavement with his shoe, attention still on Lo. “Strawberry yogurt will never taste the same.” 

“Stoooop!” Roman covered his ears, ducking his head. “I caaaaan’t heeeeear yooouuuu! Lalalala.”

A soft laugh left Logan’s lips, sounding like music to Patton’s ears as he lowered his hands, spreading them apologetically. “Sorry.” 

Patton relaxed at that laugh. Almost he could pretend that it was a normal conversation between them all. Almost.

Virgil huffed, rolling his eyes, even though a small smile played on his lips as well. “So we won’t be finding bags of blood anywhere? No severed heads or pickled entrails?” 

Lo smirked, amber eyes glimmering in the faint light. “I thought the _Master_ of Halloween would already have all that in his room?” 

Roman snorted, pulling his hands away from his ears. “He got you there, Dr. Gloom. Out of all of us here...you are the one most into that sort of stuff, we’ve seen Sherlock’s room before remember? He’s hardly got anything morbid in there.” 

“You do know that Sherlock had--” 

“Ah ba da da! NO!” Roman quickly covered Virgil’s mouth. “I’m well aware how the character Sherlock lived, don’t ruin my moment!” 

“Either way.” Logan shifted on his feet, brushing the hourglass on his chest. “Now that you--know...I--I understand if you don’t want me to---to you know---” He gestured to the van, taking a step back away from it. “Come back to the apartment--” 

“Well, of course we don’t want you to come back ther--OW!” Roman jerked his hand away from Virgil’s mouth. “HEY!”

Logan recoiled, taking another step back, looking like a puppy that had just been kicked.

Virge spat onto the road. “That’s what you get for sticking your hand and mouth where they don’t belong, Princey” 

“I was just!” 

Patton grabbed Logan’s hand before he could take off, pulling him back to the van. He knew what Ro had been trying to say, but he really could have said it just a tiny bit better. “The place is still spider-proofed, Lo.” He said gently.

Logan couldn’t return home until they figured out how to unproof Patton’s spider proofing so that he would be safe. 

“Exactly.” Virgil said, pulling out his keys. “Until we get it---liveable again for you, L, there’s no way we’re letting you back in.” 

Logan stared at them, mouth dropping open. “You still want...to live with me?” He asked, slowly.

Roman rubbed the back of his hand, glaring at Virgil. “We did say we’re not going anywhere did we not?” 

“And you said you don’t drink blood, and aren’t a murderer soo---I don’t see why you can’t stay.” Virgil shrugged. “Besides, who’s going to help me with my Chemistry if you go?”

Roman snorted. “You mean badger with endless questions about being Spliced?” 

Virge stuck his tongue out. “Yes, that too. Whatever. Still doesn’t change that we still want you with us.”

“It’s just…” Logan looked between the three of them, squeezing Patton’s hand. “Hard to believe that you’re all taking this so well.”

So well? Logan had run away from them upon his first accidental revealing because they’d taken it ‘so well’. Patton could only hope that they--he could make it up to him. Revealing yourself as Spliced had to be a hard enough thing to do in the first place, and Lo had been forced to do so before he was ready. 

_Thanks to me._

Roman huffed, eyes going soft. “We’re not going to form a Gastonian Mob and come for your head, Lo. Despite how it looked with the swords…” He spread his hands. “I am on your side. We’re all on your side.” 

“Through thick and thin, webs and fangs, stupid finals and late night celebration parties.” Virgil said with a two fingered salute. 

Logan licked his lips, eyes holding a careful flickering hope. “But I’m...I’m _Spliced._ A Widow, and you’re all okay with that? Seriously? Knowing that--that my Mom--” 

“Isn’t you, Lo.” Patton interrupted firmly. The pendant proved that. 

**_Keep you safe. Pwomise._ **

“You aren’t your family, so I’m told.” Roman agreed, clapping Lo on the shoulder with a grin that didn’t quite meet his eyes. 

“And I mean...if you don’t mind us--”

“You mean you.” Roman interjected.

“Mind _all_ of us _._ ” Virgil shot him a look. “We can be your family.” He said, sharing a smile with Patton as he joined their little circle in the rain. 

Patton nodded with his own smile. There was no question there. “We promise. We’re not going anywhere.” Lo would be able to rely on them, trust them, be himself around them.

Logan drew in a slow breath, studying them each in turn before he gave a jerk of a nod, briefly touching Roman’s hand before moving to Virgil’s. “I would like that…a lot actually.” 

“Oh good!” Ro said, giving a huge exaggerated sigh of relief as he pulled away. “ _Now_ can we get in the van and to that hotel? I would like to get dry at some point.” He jerked his head to the car. “Pleeease, my hair is already looking as sad and dingy as Doom and Gloom over there.” 

“Oh please.” Virgil rolled his eyes. “With how much gel you put on your head, I doubt a geyser could flatten it...but I am with Sir Sparkles here. Getting dry sounds good to me too.” 

“Same.” Patton agreed fervently, taking initiative and ducking into the backseat of the van. The sooner he got out of these clothes and tossed them in the trash, the better. 

Logan huffed a laugh and nodded, hesitating only half a second before he too followed Patton into the back. “I’m not the one with the keys Virge. That’s all on you.” He said, pulling the door shut with a quick glance to Patton for reassurance as he settled in next to him

“Yah, yah...I’m on it! Hold onto your fangs.” Virgil called darting around to the driver’s side. 

Roman half turned in his seat, making a show of feeling his teeth with his tongue. “Don’t have fangs to hold onto, Emo Nightmare, but I will cover your favorite hoodie in purple glitter if you don’t start this rust bucket soon.”

“Don’t you dare! I worked hard on that!”

“Then get-a-drivin!” 

Lo shook a head, a small smile on his face as he relaxed back against the seat. “It’s like nothing’s changed.” He mumbled to Patton as the van chugged into life. 

**_Keep you safe._ **

Patton leaned into him, resting his head on Logan’s shoulder. “Because nothing really has, Lo.” He said softly, winding their fingers together as Virgil pulled out of the lot. “You’re still you, and that’s all that matters.”


	11. Epilogue -Two Weeks Later

Logan sprawled out on his bed, foot tapping the sheets as he frowned down at the drawing. “I don’t know, Ro.” 

“Oh come on, Specs!” Roman jabbed the paper he’d practically shoved into Logan’s hand. “Please! It’s for science!”

Virgil snorted from where he sat jotting down notes in the middle of the large web Logan had built for him in order to test the strength of the threads he could produce from his wrists. “For science, huh. Since when do you care about--?” 

“Since--since you said you needed to establish if Logaroo’s webs here can hold a human’s weight or not!”

“We’ve already established that it can.” Logan said, gesturing to Virgil. “This just---it’s fantasy, Roman. Hanging from a single thread upside down? When would I ever need to do that?” It would hardly be stable. He could already imagine spinning uncontrollably or swinging wildly back and forth in the wind. No, two or maybe three anchor points would be necessary to help control such a descent--

“Because it would look freaking cool that’s why!” Roman said sitting up straight, eyes shining. “Just imagine it okay? Hanging upside down in the rain--” 

“Getting water up my nose.” Logan deadpanned staring at the two figures Roman had drawn on the page.

“Getting--HEY!” Roman shoved his shoulder. “No! And you’ve just saved--” 

“The love of my life.” Logan finished. Blah blah blah. He’d heard similar speeches before from Ro. There was a good reason why Virgil often called him Princey after all. He shook his head. “I get what you’re getting at. I just don’t see why anyone would want to kiss like this.” 

“It’s a romantic gesture, Mr. Robot! Just think of how it would look in a movie!” 

“Which I would never be in because a) I’m not an actor like you two and b)--” He tugged at the collar of his button down shirt, showing them the top of his hourglass, much more comfortable now about bringing up his Spliced status to his roommates than he had ever thought he would be. “I doubt I’d be the most welcome in such a role.” Not unless it was a part in a horror movie and Logan doubted a real Widow would ever be cast in the first place. His kind were too dangerous to trust. 

And yet. He glanced up to Virgil and Roman, a small smile on his lips. And yet, somehow, he’d managed to find not one, not two, but _three_ friends who did trust him. Who wanted to be around him. It was still hard for him to believe he wasn’t dreaming. That he had actually gotten so lucky.

Roman groaned flopping onto the bed covering his eyes with his arm. “Just _pretend_ for two minutes that this is necessary okay! Life saving!”

“Life saving?” Virgil scoffed, twisting the protective bracelet Logan had created for him around his wrist. “We don’t even know the toxicity of the venom in Lo’s fangs yet. One wrong move on his part and bye bye love interest.” 

Roman groaned even louder, reaching out blindly to pluck the picture from Logan’s hands. “Why do I live with you two again? You spoil _all_ my fun!” 

“I don’t know…” Logan smirked as he adjusted his glasses. “Didn’t you have fun trying to escape that web cocoon--

A shrill scream rang through the air, sending ice down his spine as he shoved to his feet, darting across the web in the blink of an eye to grab the door just as Patton fell silent. Logan froze, heart hammering in his chest, venom welling in his fangs, waiting for another cry, a sign--

**_Oh, how I love to hear them scream._ **

“Pat.” He whispered, straining to hear--

“Lo!” Patton called out a second later in a wavering voice. “G-Get your _little cousin_ AWAY from me!” 

_Little cousin._ A regular spider then. Logan relaxed fractionally, grateful that Roman had suggested the term a few days earlier just in case another arachnid appeared in their apartment. He pulled the door open, glancing over his shoulder to the others. “Please don’t tell me it’s the bananas again?” 

Roman scoffed, picking his way through the gaps in the web to get to the door. “Hey!” He waved his left hand, a thread wrapped ring shimmering on his pinky. “I _checked_ before I _bought_ them!” 

“And did you check the grapes too?” Virgil asked, wobbling on top of the web as he stood.

Ro flushed. “Uh--about that--” 

Logan didn’t stick around to hear the rest, running down the hall and jumping over the railing instead of taking the stairs to get to Pat quicker, grateful for the fact that there was no need to act as...human now that they knew. He landed easily just outside the kitchen and straightened, adjusting his glasses. “Where?” He asked gently, a tiny web appearing between his fingers as he took in the scene. 

There was a bowl of spilled grapes on the floor, a plate of Crofter’s PB&J sandwiches on the counter and Patton, dear dear Patton, who had practically climbed on top of the refrigerator in his knee jerk reaction to get away. 

Pat shuddered, eyes closed as he pointed in the general direction of the bowl, the pendant around his neck glowing a bright blue. “On--on--on--” 

“It’s okay, Pat--I’m here. You’ll be safe soon enough.” Logan said in as reassuring of a tone as he could while he searched the floor for signs--

_There._

Nearly blending into the tile, the off-white arachnid had frozen by a grape that had been squashed by the edge of the bowl. “Gotcha.” Logan whispered moving into the kitchen proper to drop the mini web onto the spider, the threads turning blue as he trapped it and pulled it up into his palm. “I got it Pat, hold on a sec, I’m taking it outside.” He said, vaulting over the island dividing the kitchen from the living room and quickly slipped onto the balcony to free the creature. 

With a quick glance to make sure no one was around, Logan leaned over the railing and carefully lowered the web to the house plant their neighbors below had recently moved outside. Once he was sure his ‘little cousin’ had been transferred safely onto a large leaf he pulled the web away. “Stay.” He told the spider despite knowing that it couldn’t understand him. 

Virgil hypothesized that he could, in fact, talk to spiders, but it wasn’t like it was a spoken thing if such an ability existed. If anything, it was a Widow’s scent and the vibrations of their approach that kept spiders away from his kind. 

Still, that didn’t mean that Logan could communicate with them to the extent of creating and controlling a ‘spider army’... though convincing Roman of that fact after seeing how many arachnids had been in the shed... had yet to be successful. 

“Pat?” He called ducking back inside. “It’s gon--omph.” He staggered a step as Patton grabbed him into a fierce hug, ducking his head against Logan’s chest, shuddering. 

“I-I’m so-so-sorry I-I’m try-trying--” He whimpered.

_I’m NOT scared. Not of you._

Logan wrapped his arms around Patton, holding him close as he rested his chin on his head, noting that the Virgil and Roman had made it to the kitchen while he’d been outside and were quietly arguing over pre-bagged fruits as they picked up the scattered grapes. 

_Keep you safe._

“It’s okay.” He said softly. “You’re okay. You’re safe. I’m here.” 

Patton sniffed, struggling to draw a full breath. “I--I didn’t--mean to s-s-s-scream.” 

_I hate hate hate spiders!_

“I know.” It had scared Logan half to death, but he could only imagine that Patton had been in the same mindset when he’d seen the spider in the bowl. “It’s okay to still be afraid of them.” He said soothingly, running his fingers through Pat’s hair. “No one expects you--I don’t expect you to suddenly get over your lifelong fear and never get scared.” 

Patton shivered. “I-I don’t want y-you to think--”

Logan paused, gently lifting his chin up so he could look into his eyes. “I know you’re not scared of me, Pat.” He said, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

How could he doubt it when Pat had not only run after him, a Human Widow, but braved that spider infested shed, gotten himself covered in webs, and clung to Logan so tightly he’d been surprised he hadn’t ended up covered in bruises. 

“I’m NOT!” Patton whispered fiercely, eyes shimmering. “I’m NOT Lo! I’m NOT!” 

Logan rubbed a thumb against Pat’s cheek, brushing away his tears. “But it _is_ okay to be scared of my _little cousins_ . It’s a common fear among people, one you shouldn’t be upset about still having.” Especially after he’d survived an encounter with his mom. That fear was very _very_ valid after everything he’d been through.

**_It’s kill or be killed, my spiderling._ **

Honestly, even two weeks later, it was hard to believe that Pat wasn’t afraid of him for what he was. That he would willingly stick close to him and treat him like...well, like a normal human being. Though it probably helped that Logan had been careful to keep his...Widowness...to a minimum around him. He’d worked hard to keep the spider related experiments of Virgil’s confined to his room or to when Pat wasn’t home so his best friend wouldn’t get upset. 

Patton slowly exhaled, looking at him with wide watery eyes. “You--you’re sure? It’s...okay?” He asked.

“I’m sure.” Logan said with a firm nod. “Though,” He tilted his head towards the kitchen, purposely raising his voice so the others could hear him. “Perhaps we should ban Roman from buying fruit if this is going to be a recurring event.” 

“HEY! It’s only my _second_ time!” 

“And that’s two times too many, Princey.” 

Roman scoffed. “In six months I would think that’s still pretty good--”

“And how often have you done it in the last month? That’s _not_ good. Whatcha do? Switch grocery stores or something?” Virgil retorted

Patton gave a shaky laugh, glancing to the kitchen before he nodded. “At least we should probably ground him for a bit.” He whispered. “A week, maybe two.”

“I think forever is good.” Virgil said, coming into the room, holding the plate of sandwiches. “Nobody here likes grapes anyways.”

Roman gasped, appearing right behind Virgil with cups and a pitcher of blue kool-aid in his hands. “No, no, NO! Forever is NOT good, Emo Nightmare, because that is Fiveever too long and we can’t all survive off of Loganberry jam like _some_ Nerds we know! I _need--”_ He argued as they settled on the couch, placing the food on the table in preparation for movie night.

It was all so...normal. Logan gave Pat a gentle squeeze. Some days he still couldn’t believe that his roommates were okay with the truth, okay with knowing he wasn’t exactly like them.

But at the same time, to finally be treated normally was all that Logan had ever desired in the first place. To be able to be himself. He sighed, burying his face in Patton’s hair. “I’m glad nothing’s really changed.” He mumbled, listening to the other two argue over what movie to watch.

Patton chuckled, resting his head against Logan’s chest, relaxing in his arms. “Me too, Lo. Me too.” 


End file.
